grecian bend
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An affectation in walking with the body stooped slightly forward, assumed by English women in 1868.
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 “grecian bend” mean?
An affectation in walking with the body stooped slightly forward, assumed by English women in 1868.
Is “grecian bend” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.