Anansi

American  

[uh-non-see] / əˈnɒn si /

Ananse

noun

1. a mischievous trickster character in folk tales of West Africa and, subsequently, the Caribbean who is both a spider and a man, the son of the creator god Nyame.

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Etymology

Origin of Anansi

First recorded in 1700–10; from Twi ananse “spider,” and the name of a mythological character notable for his cunning and trickery

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Anansi

And they told stories about characters like Br’er Rabbit and Anansi, tricksters who provided models for overcoming powerful oppressors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

There are stories there that Mark might have drawn on, and others from beyond its borders: in Anansi stories and Ghanaian folk tales, for example.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023

After finishing work on two major Amazon Prime television series – North Sea thriller The Rig and fantasy show Anansi Boys – the film studio opened its doors to BBC Scotland.

From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2023

Anansi and Br’er Rabbit took on roles reflecting their new geography, their stories now functioning both as entertaining narratives about guile and greed and as parables of overcoming the cruelty of white masters.

From New York Times ● Nov. 10, 2021

His appeals fell on deaf ears, and Anansi turned to me as Nyame’s spell pulled him back inside the funnel cloud.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia