a member of the westerly division of the Goths, which formed a monarchy about a.d. 418, maintaining it in southern France until 507 and in Spain until 711.
1605-15; < Late LatinVisigothī (plural) < Germanic, equivalent to *wisi- (cognate with west) + goth-goth
Related forms
Visigothic, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Visigoth
Visigoth
/ˈvɪzɪˌɡɒθ/
noun
1.
a member of the western group of the Goths, who were driven into the Balkans in the late 4th century ad. Moving on, they sacked Rome (410) and established a kingdom in present-day Spain and S France that lasted until 711
Derived Forms
Visigothic, adjective
Word Origin
C17: from Late Latin Visigothī (pl), of Germanic origin, visi- perhaps meaning: west
Word Origin and History for Visigoth
1640s, from Late Latin Visigothus (plural Visigothi), perhaps "West Goths" (cf. Old High German westan "from the west"), as opposed to Ostrogothi; but according to some authorities, Visi/Vesi appears to be a Latinized form of a tribal name.