Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

xoanon

/ˈzoʊ.ə.nɑn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: xoanon
IPA: /ˈzoʊ.ə.nɑn/

13

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A wooden statue used as a cult image in Ancient Greece.

Example Sentences

"In the case of 679, the well-known female figure of xoanon shape, it is often asserted that we see a more or less archaistic survival; […]"
"Callimachus' description of the Samian xoanon as a sanis—a flat board or plank regularly used for doors or wooden tablets—and specifically as "not carved by chisels" (gluphanôn axoos sanis) clearly indicates an aniconic Hera of Samos."
"On Carlo Brillante's convincing interpretation, Thamyras is here attempting not simply to display his musical virtuosity, but to animate with his song this chorus of nine female xoana, his own personal substitutes for the nine real Muses […]"

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξόανον (xóanon).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈzoʊ.ə.nɑn/
British English: /ˈzəʊ.ə.nɒn/

Inflected Forms

xoana (plural)

Questions

How do you pronounce xoanon?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈzoʊ.ə.nɑn/.
What does xoanon mean?: A wooden statue used as a cult image in Ancient Greece.
Where does xoanon come from?: From Ancient Greek ξόανον (xóanon).

How to pronounce xoanon

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “xoanon”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈzoʊ.ə.nɑn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “xoanon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.