Caliban

American  

[kal-uh-ban] / ˈkæl əˌbæn /

noun

1. a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest, described as the half-human native inhabitant of the island, who is enslaved by the character Prospero.

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Caliban British  

/ ˈkælɪˌbæn /

noun

1. a brutish or brutalized man

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Etymology

Origin of Caliban

First recorded in 1610–15; probably a variant of cannibal ( def. ) or Carib ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Caliban

Logan attempts to medicate him so that he and Caliban can rest, but Xavier fights him off, falls out of his wheelchair and has a telepathic seizure that begins to affect everyone around him.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

But Prospero is jolted into an awareness that Caliban and his confederates are plotting “a foul conspiracy” against his life, and he abruptly ends the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2025

“The isle is full of noises,” sings Caliban, and on Tuesday night it certainly was.

From New York Times ● Aug. 31, 2023

Jack Chadwick chanced upon an old copy of Jack Hilton's semi-autobiographical Caliban Shrieks in 2021.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2023

“Hiss,” said Caliban again, and jumped down from the counter over the cupboard after her.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

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