'the bed of Procrustes' definitions:

Definition of 'the bed of Procrustes'

From: GCIDE
  • Procrustes \Pro*crus"tes\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? to beat out, to stretch; ? forward + ? to strike.] (Gr. Antiq.) A celebrated legendary highwayman of Attica, who tied his victims upon an iron bed, and, as the case required, either stretched or cut of their legs to adapt them to its length; -- whence the metaphorical phrase,
  • the bed of Procrustes. [1913 Webster]