Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- a verb tense, as in Classical Greek, expressing action or, in the indicative mood, past action, without further limitation or implication.
adjective
- of or in this tense.
noun
- grammar a tense of the verb in classical Greek and in certain other inflected languages, indicating past action without reference to whether the action involved was momentary or continuousCompare perfect (def. 8), imperfect (def. 4)
1580s, the simple past tense of Greek verbs, from Greek aoristos (khronos) “indefinite (tense),” from privative prefix a- “not” (see a- (3)) + horistos “limited, defined,” verbal adjective from horizein “to limit, define,” from horos “boundary, limit, border” (see horizon).