Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Pertaining to the pancratium; athletic; excelling in gymnastic exercises generally; hence, giving or having mastery over all things or subjects; universally accomplished.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective (Opt.) Having all or many degrees of power; having a great range of power; -- said of an eyepiece made adjustable so as to give a varying magnifying power.
  • adjective Of or pertaining to the pancratium; athletic.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective optometry Having all or many degrees of power; having a great range of power; said of an eyepiece made adjustable so as to give a varying magnifying power.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Ancient Greek παγκρατής (pankratēs, "all-powerful") +‎ -ic.

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Examples

  • The object glass is three inches; the focal length forty-three inches; and the telescope, when drawn out, with the pancratic eyepiece attached, is about four feet.

    Men of Invention and Industry Samuel Smiles 1858

  • Then do I perceive, with vain regret of wasted opportunities, the advantage of a pancratic or pantechnic education, since he is most reverenced by my little subjects who can throw the cleanest summerset, or walk most securely upon the revolving cask.

    The Biglow Papers James Russell Lowell 1855

  • Then do I perceive, with vain regret of wasted opportunities, the advantage of a pancratic or pantechnic education, since he is most reverenced by my little subjects who can throw the cleanest summerset or walk most securely upon the revolving cask.

    The Complete Poetical Works of James Russell Lowell James Russell Lowell 1855

  • And this love must embrace knowledge in all its branches, for Dante is content with nothing less than a pancratic training, and has a scorn of _dilettanti_, specialists, and quacks.

    Among My Books Second Series James Russell Lowell 1855

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