Sicilian Vespers
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The massacre of the French in Sicily, which began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282. The term is used proverbially of any treacherous and bloody attack.
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 “Sicilian Vespers” mean?
The massacre of the French in Sicily, which began at the hour of vespers on Easter Monday in 1282. The term is used proverbially of any treacherous and bloody attack.
Is “Sicilian Vespers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.