Beowulf

American  

[bey-uh-woolf] / ˈbeɪ əˌwʊlf /

noun

1. (italics) an English alliterative epic poem, probably written in the early 8th century a.d.

2. the hero of this poem.

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Beowulf British  

/ ˈbeɪəˌwʊlf /

noun

1. an anonymous Old English epic poem in alliterative verse, believed to have been composed in the 8th century _a.d

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Beowulf Cultural  

1. An epic in Old English, estimated as dating from as early as the eighth century; the earliest long work of literature in English. The critical events are the slaying of the monster Grendel and Grendel's mother by the hero Beowulf and Beowulf's battle with a dragon, in which he is mortally wounded.

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Example Sentences

Though John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s books are in no way a retelling of “Beowulf,” echoes of the Old English epic occur throughout.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Atlantic story and other accounts of Kennedy make it clear he views himself as the lone hero of a great battle, a Beowulf intending to slay a dragon of dogma and lies.

From Salon

Even Simon Harley-Dickinson must have wondered, from his ever-changing position in the theatrical firmament: What had become of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia Incorrigible, the three wards of Lord Fredrick Ashton, of Ashton Place, England?

From Literature

“Beowulf, I can see nothing wrong with your leg. Why are you making such a fuss?”

From Literature

Beowulf’s elder brother, Alexander, had spent the last hour pretending that the wind-filled curtains were sails on a ship.

From Literature