By Helena Smith in Athens

Academics have joined writers, thinkers and politicians in denouncing the decision of a northern Greek court to temporarily ban the country's foremost dictionary.

As Greece's leading lexicon, the volume is seen as the equivalent of the Oxford English dictionary and is widely used in universities.

Pulling it from shop shelves has quickly raised cries of censorship. Dimitris Reppas, a spokesman for the Socialist government was among the first to warn against the return to the Middle Ages when books were frequently burned.

But controversial definitions in the dictionary have caused such uproar that opponents say they will only be happy when the offending entries are removed.

Football fans offended

Critics are especially upset with the definition of Bulgarian as the slang reference to northern Greek football fans and Pontian as a person who is often seen as excessively stupid.

Greeks, from Pontos an area around the Black Sea have now joined northern Greeks in saying the entries amount to racial slurs.

As if that wasn't enough, ethnic Greek Albanians have also started protesting over the dictionary's secondary definition of an Albanian.

Professor George Babiniotis, who compiled the lexicon, defined an Albanian as someone who is often exploited and works long hours.

Officials impounded the lexicon after an irate city councillor in the northern Greek capital of Salonica took legal action against it.