procrustes

• Имя собственное из греческой мифологии, относящееся к великану, который заставлял своих жертв подгонять под своё железное ложе, растягивая или отрубая им конечности; в конечном итоге был убит Тесеем.

A proper noun from Greek mythology referring to a giant who would force his victims to fit his iron bed by stretching or amputating their limbs, ultimately killed by Theseus.

неисчисляемое · имя собственное

1. Mythological figureC2formal

   In Greek mythology, a cruel giant and bandit who forced travelers to fit into his iron bed by either stretching them or cutting off their limbs, until he was slain by Theseus.

   Мифологический персонаж

   • Procrustes was known for his brutal method of making victims fit his bed.
   • Theseus defeated Procrustes by subjecting him to his own torture.
   • The story of Procrustes is a classic myth about arbitrary standards.

2. Figurative useC2formal

   A person or system that forces conformity by violent or arbitrary means, often ignoring individual differences.

   Прокруст

   • The new policy acts like a Procrustes, forcing all departments into the same rigid structure.
   • Critics accused the curriculum of being a Procrustes, ignoring students' unique learning styles.
   • He saw the company's uniform dress code as a Procrustes, suppressing personal expression.