Definition of diatribe

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< diatonic

diatropism >

di·a·tribe    (d-trb) KEY 

NOUN:

A bitter, abusive denunciation.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Latin diatriba, learned discourse, from Greek diatrib, pastime, lecture, from diatrbein, to consume, wear away : dia-, intensive pref. ; see dia- + trbein, to rub; see ter-¹ in Indo-European roots

WORD HISTORY:
Listening to a lengthy diatribe may seem like a waste of time, an attitude for which there is some etymological justification. The Greek word diatrib, the ultimate source of our word, is derived from the verb diatrbein, made up of the prefix dia-, "completely," and trbein, "to rub," "to wear away, spend, or waste time," "to be busy." The verb diatrbein meant "to rub hard," "to spend or waste time," and the noun diatrib meant "wearing away of time, amusement, serious occupation, study," as well as "discourse, short ethical treatise or lecture, debate, argument." It is the serious occupation of time in discourse, lecture, and debate that gave us the first use of diatribe recorded in English (1581), in the now archaic sense "discourse, critical dissertation." The critical element of this kind of diatribe must often have been uppermost, explaining the origin of the current sense of diatribe, "a bitter criticism."