syrtis

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syrtis

/sərtəz/

Where it comes from

From Latin syrtis, from Syrtis (“Sirte, Gulf of Syrtis”), from Ancient Greek Σύρτις (Súrtis), an area of Libya proverbially treacherous for sailing owing to the effect of wind and waves on its quicksand. Doublet of Sirte.

noun syrtes · syrt

archaic Synonym of quicksand.
Similar: quicksand
archaic Synonym of bog. ... Quenched in a boggy syrtis, neither sea Nor good dry land ...
Similar: bog

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MLA

"syrtis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/syrtis. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

syrtis. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/syrtis

Chicago

"syrtis." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/syrtis.

BibTeX

@misc{syrtis_2026,
  title = {syrtis},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/syrtis},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}