harpy
/ˈhɑɹpi/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A mythological creature generally depicted as a bird-of-prey with the head of a maiden, a face pale with hunger and long claws on her hands personifying the destructive power of storm winds.
noun
One who is rapacious or ravenous; an extortioner.
noun
Any of a number of eagle-like birds of prey of the subfamily Harpiinae, especially the species Harpia harpyja.
noun
The European moor buzzard or marsh harrier (Circus aeruginosus).
Example Sentences
- "Both table and provisions vanish'd quite, With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard."
- "But her most subtle wiles proved ineffectual in ridding her, even for a moment, of her harpy jailer[…]"
- "[…] Ed Miliband has yet to come up with a definition of “the squeezed middle” that excludes anyone, but you can bet your bottom dollar he has these laptop-wielding harpies in mind."
- "c. 1772, Oliver Goldsmith, letter to Mrs. Bunbury The harpies about me all pocket the pool."
Etymology
Ultimately from Middle French harpie, from Latin harpyia, from Ancient Greek ἅρπυιᾰ (hárpuiă, literally “snatcher”), from ἁρπάζω (harpázō, “to snatch, seize”). Compare rapacious. Middle English had arpie.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: harpie, harpyia, ἅρπυιᾰ
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑɹpi/
- British English: /ˈhɑːpi/