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

Fascinated by folklore, he also published an award-winning translation of Beowulf.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2025

Acocella was a cultural omnivore, and the menu here is correspondingly eclectic: Dracula, dictionaries, dirty words; Marilynne Robinson, Richard Pryor, Elena Ferrante; Gilgamesh, Beowulf, “Little Women.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2024

What do Beowulf, Batman and Barbie all have in common?

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2023

Beowulf Boritt won for the musical “New York, New York,” a big, buoyant throwback of a show whose aesthetic is decidedly classic Broadway.

From New York Times • Jun. 12, 2023

“Millions! Enough to keep us here past suppertime,” Beowulf said, rubbing his tummy forlornly.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood