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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
    also called satyrid sa′·ty·rid (-ə rid)

Etymology: ME satir < L satyrus < Gr satyros

Related Forms:

  • satyric sa·tyr′ic (sā tir′ik) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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.

Modifies a noun

  • play: Except in the satyr play, theater seems to eschew naked flesh.

Noun used with modifier

  • dancing: Hence, perhaps, her pose leaning against a plinth bearing a statuette of a dancing satyr.
satyr usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"satyr." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/satyr>

APA Style

satyr. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/satyr

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