Caliban

American  

[kal-uh-ban] / ˈkæl əˌbæn /

noun

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

---

Caliban British  

/ ˈkælɪˌbæn /

noun

1. a brutish or brutalized man

---

Etymology

Origin of Caliban

First recorded in 1610–15; probably a variant of cannibal ( def. ) or Carib ( def. )

Example Sentences

“The isle is full of noises,” sings Caliban, and on Tuesday night it certainly was.

From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2023

Jack Chadwick chanced upon an old copy of Jack Hilton's semi-autobiographical Caliban Shrieks in 2021.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2023

Indeed, this “savage,” as Shakespeare took pains to note in his complicated depiction of Caliban, is a good deal more civilized than the drunken riffraff with whom he falls into cahoots.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2023

Previously, though, according to the actors, Caliban had been portrayed by Pilobolus dancers, so the Round House character would have its own distinct personality.

From Washington Post • Jan. 26, 2023

I said again, as Sycorax and Caliban ran over my foot—over my foot!—and headed into the Coat Room, where they threw themselves into the pile of fungused lunch remnants.

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt