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.
“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
At times sweet naif, at times screaming banshee, she seems not quite human, like the strange half-duck/half-dog creature that follows her around the scientist’s house.
From Seattle Times
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.
