A branch of the Indo-European language family that includes modern Lithuanian, spoken by 3 million people, modern Latvian, spoken by 2 million people, and Old Prussian, Yotvingian, Curonian, Selonian, and Semigallion. It is quite closely related to Slavic.

Scottish slang for cold, as applied to the weather.

Example: "You'd better take your coat, Mathew, its absolutely baltic outside."

Use of this word seems to connote a particular kind of cold day; dark, overcast, probably raining, or more likely sleeting. However, extremely cold weather does not seem worthy of the title. One possible explanation for this is that, on a merely cold day (as against, say, two feet of snow), one may chance it and wear a normal jacket, instead of the more sensible thick warm overcoat. One will then feel the cold a heck of a lot more and thus complain about it.

An interesting point to note is that the word, by virtue of having hard B, T, and C consonants and easily shoutable vowels, has found applications as a mild expletive. For example, if you're standing waiting for a bus in the cold and rain, shouting "Its BALTIC!!!" can have mild theraputic benefits.

The word is presumably a reference to the Baltic Sea, a rather cold, nasty place.

A less common name for the 4-6-4 steam locomotive wheel arrangement; the more common name used in North America was Hudson. The term Baltic was favored by the Milwaukee Road among others.

Bal"tic (?), a. [NL. mare Balticum, fr. L. balteus belt, from certain straits or channels surrounding its isles, called belts. See Belt.]

Of or pertaining to the sea which separates Norway and Sweden from Jutland, Denmark, and Germany; situated on the Baltic Sea.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.