a. and sb. Forms: 6 bacchinall, 7 bachinal, bachanal(e, -nel, backenal, 6– bacchanal. [ad. L. bacchānālis, also bāccā-, bācā-, f. Bacchus, Gr. Βάκχος god of wine.]

1

  A.  adj.

2

  1.  Of or pertaining to Bacchus or his worship.

3

1550.  Nicolls, Thucyd., 50 (R.). Unto whom was yearely celebrated the feast bacchanal.

4

a. 1789.  Burney, Hist. Mus., I. 61. Styles of Melopœia; (1) the Dithyrambic or Bacchanal.

5

  2.  Indulging in drunken revelry; riotously drunken, roystering.

6

1711.  Shaftesb., Charac. (1737), III. 364. A bacchinal nymph.

7

1762.  Falconer, To Dk. York, 144. Exulting with bacchanal rage.

8

1818.  Byron, Ch. Har., IV. Ded. The bacchanal roar of the songs of exultation.

9

  B.  sb.

10

  1.  A priest or priestess, votary or devotee of Bacchus; a Bacchant or Bacchante.

11

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., V. i. 48. The riot of the tipsie Bachanals.

12

1594.  Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 85. Like a franticke Bacchinall, she stampt.

13

1853.  Robertson, Serm., Ser. III. ix. 113. To them the bacchanal appeared a being half inspired.

14

  2.  A drunken reveller.

15

1812.  Byron, Ch. Har., I. vi. And now Childe Harold … from his fellow bacchanals would flee.

16

1841.  H. Smith, Moneyed Man, II. ix. 311. I detest myself, degraded bacchanal as I am.

17

  3.  (Usually pl.) A festival in honor of Bacchus. [L. Bacchanalia.]

18

1616.  in Bullokar.

19

1636.  Healey, Theophrast., To Rdr. These were preparatives to those more solemne Bacchanals or Corrivals [? for Convivals].

20

1705.  Stanhope, Paraphr., III. 544. Intemperance and Excess in the Heathen Bacchanals was esteemed an Act of religious Joy.

21

  4.  An occasion of drunken revelry; an orgy.

22

1536.  Latimer, 2nd Serm. bef. Convoc., I. 52. The solemn and nocturnal bacchanals.

23

1673.  Lady’s Call., II. i. § 23. That a marriage-day is but a kind of bacchanal, a more licens’d avow’d revel.

24

1795.  Burke, Regic. Peace, IX. 118. At their debauches and bacchanals.

25

  fig.  1860.  Sir T. Martin, Horace, 110. Where mists and snows … Hold reckless bacchanal.

26

  5.  A dance or song in honor of Bacchus.

27

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. vii. 110. Shall we daunce now the Egyptian Backenals?

28

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 693. Where Bacchanals are sung by Spartan Maids.

29

1780.  Cowper, Table-T., 602. Genius danced a bacchanal.

30

  6.  A scene of revelry painted or sculptured.

31

1753.  Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Bacchanalia, Bacchanals, pictures or basso relievos, whereon the feast is represented, consisting chiefly of dancings, nudities, and the like.

32

1762.  H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), III. 32. A Bacchanal of … naked boys, sitting on a tub, the wine running out.

33