† climacter Obs.
[a. Gr. κλῑµακτήρ round of a ladder, definite or critical period of a man's life, f. κλίµαξ ladder + -τηρ suffix of agent and agency.]
A climacteric year or epoch.
| 1609 C. Butler Fem. Mon. (1634) 30 The sixty-third year of man's age..called climactericall (because it ariseth of nine Septenaries, as so many Climacters or Ladder-rounds). 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. (1656) §28 In his yeares there is no Climacter, his duration is eternity. 1656 Blount Glossogr., Climacter, the perillous time of mans life, at every seven or nine years end. |