Callippic Period
Preserved but no longer current.
An intended cor- rection of the Metonic Cycle (q.v.} by Callip- pus, the Greek astronomer of the 4th century B.C. To remedy the defect in the Metonic Cycle Callippus quadrupled the period cf Meton, making his Cycle one of seventy-six years, and deducted a day at the end of it, by which means he calculated that the new and full moons would be brought round to the same day and hour.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Callippic Period” mean?
An intended cor- rection of the Metonic Cycle (q.v.} by Callip- pus, the Greek astronomer of the 4th century B.C. To remedy the defect in the Metonic Cycle Callippus quadrupled the period cf Meton, making his Cycle one of seventy-six years, and deducted a day at the end of it, by which means he calculated that the new and full moons would be brought round to the same day and hour.
Is “Callippic Period” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.