satyr Hear it!

satyr Definition

sa·tyr (sāt′ər, sat′-)

noun

  1. Gr. Myth. any of a class of minor woodland deities, attendant on Dionysus, orig. represented as having the ears and tail of a horse, later as having pointed ears, short horns, the head and trunk of a man, and the hind legs of a goat, and as being fond of riotous merriment and lechery
  2. a lustful or lecherous man
  3. a man having satyriasis
  4. any of a worldwide family (Satyridae) of butterflies with gray or brown wings, often with eyelike spots

Etymology: ME satir < L satyrus < Gr satyros

satyr Related Forms

sa·tyr′ic (sā tir′ik) adjective

satyr Synonyms

satyr

n.

  1. Demigod

    sylvan deity, faun, Pan; see god 1.

  2. Lecher

    libertine, whoremonger, rake, reprobate, debaucher, lech*, dirty old man*, old goat; see also lecher.

satyr Usage Examples

Converse of object

depict: One of the more remarkable intaglios depicts a satyr holding a bunch of grapes, in a silver ring from Weybourne in Norfolk.

Adjective modifier

  • female: She is a kind of female satyr, who resides in caves and strangles and perverts men.
  • little: The little satyrs have stolen his lance - a joke to show that he is now disarmed.

Modifies a noun

  • play: Except in the satyr play, theater seems to eschew naked flesh.
  • drama: How did satyr drama relate to comedy and tragedy; how closely was it tied to its tragic trilogy?

Noun used with modifier

dancing: Hence, perhaps, her pose leaning against a plinth bearing a statuette of a dancing satyr.

Browse dictionary entries near satyr

  1. ‹ satyagraha
  2. ‹ saturnism
  3. ‹ saturnine
  4. ‹ saturniid
  5. ‹ Saturnian
  6. ‹ Saturnalian
  7. ‹ Saturnalia
  8. ‹ Saturn
  9. ‹ Saturdays
  10. ‹ Saturday night special
  1. satyr play ›
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