Caliban

[ kal-uh-ban ]

/ ˈkæl əˌbæn /

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noun

a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest, described as the half-human native inhabitant of the island, who is enslaved by the character Prospero.

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Origin of Caliban

First recorded in 1610–15; probably a variant of cannibal or Carib

Words nearby Caliban

Calgary redeye, Calgon, Calhoun, Calhoun, John C., Cali, Caliban, caliber, calibrate, calibration, calibre, calices

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Caliban in a sentence

He would then deliver the objects to John Schulman, the proprietor of Caliban’s book shop and an occasional expert on PBS’s Antique Roadshow, who would sell them.
Forget Art and Gems, Thieves Make Discreet Millions at the Library|Candida Moss|May 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
Clegg first introduces himself to Miranda as Ferdinand, but she later dubs him Caliban.
How to Understand the Criminal Mind By Reading This Novel|Casey N. Cep|December 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And cruder devices certainly deepen the effect of a name; Caliban is a rough anagram of “cannibal,” and Cassio contains an “ass.”
What’s in a Name? Writers and Their Anthroponymy|Anthony Paletta|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With his jarring sinister performances—part art-rock, part bawdy Musical Hall—he became the Caliban/Quasimodo of Punk.
Dead Cool: Ian Dury|Simon Doonan|April 23, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Caliban, Ariel, the love-scene—all belong to the highest creations of art.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
The wild, uncouth Caliban, the wonderful flights of Ariel—these are creations of the first order.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
Caliban led the way with young Dave, and Hale walked side by side with them while Bob was escort for the other two.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.
Dan was well hardened to her cajoleries by this time; he was confident that she would have made "sweet eyes at Caliban."
A Hoosier Chronicle|Meredith Nicholson
To one accustomed to the aspect of the normal American population, the Caliban type shows up with a frequency that is startling.
The Old World in the New|Edward Alsworth Ross

British Dictionary definitions for Caliban

Caliban

/ (ˈkælɪˌbæn) /

noun

a brutish or brutalized man

Word Origin for Caliban

C19: after a character in Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012