Penelope

[ puh-nel-uh-pee ]

noun
  1. Classical Mythology. the wife of Odysseus, who remained faithful to him during his long absence at Troy.

  2. a faithful wife.

  1. a female given name: from a Greek word meaning “weaver.”

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British Dictionary definitions for Penelope

Penelope

/ (pəˈnɛləpɪ) /


noun
  1. Greek myth the wife of Odysseus, who remained true to him during his long absence despite the importunities of many suitors

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Penelope

Penelope

[ (puh-nel-uh-pee) ]


The wife of Odysseus in classical mythology. Penelope remained true to her husband for the ten years he spent fighting in the Trojan War (see also Trojan War) and for the ten years it took him to return from Troy, even though she was harassed by men who wanted to marry her. She promised to choose a suitor after she had finished weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, but every night she unraveled what she had woven during the day. After three years, her trick was discovered, but she still managed to put her suitors off until Odysseus returned and killed them.

Notes for Penelope

Penelope is an image of fidelity and devotion.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.