banshee
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of banshee
First recorded in 1765–75; from Irish bean sídhe “woman of a fairy mound”; bean “woman” (from Old Irish ben; queen ) + sídhe “of a fairy mound” (from Old Irish síde, genitive of síd “fairy mound”; sídh )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“This place reminds me of the moors—it’s full of banshees!”
From Literature
“Didn’t mean to shriek like a banshee! I was startled, is all. It was so lifelike! She’s a talented lass, isn’t she?”
From Literature
In Gaelic lore, a “banshee” is a female spirit whose scream warns of impending death.
From Los Angeles Times
When he heard the news he says he “wailed like a banshee for 20 minutes”.
From BBC
At the same time, he continues to throw himself a great pity party, wraps himself in his solipsistic view of victimhood, wailing like a banshee and gnashing his teeth in anger.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
