Cleopatra

[ klee-uh-pa-truh, -pah-, -pey- ]

/ ˌkli əˈpæ trə, -ˈpɑ-, -ˈpeɪ- /

noun

69–30 b.c., queen of Egypt 51–49, 48–30.

a female given name: from Greek words meaning “fame” and “father.”

Content related to Cleopatra

Everyday English Words With Ancient Arabic Roots Throughout the English language are Arabic roots. Read on for the surprising Arabian delights in English. English would be awfully bland without them.

Which Overachiever Is August Named For?August has arrived. If you’re in Europe, it’s likely you’re taking an extended holiday. If you’re anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you might just be trying to stay cool. August is the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, and the sixth month of the Roman calendar. Its original name was Sextilus, Latin for “sixth month.” In 8 BCE, the month was named in honor of Augustus …

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cleopatra

Remember the fiasco of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Cleopatra?
Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts Finally Collide in ‘August: Osage County’|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Schiff, for instance, conjures a scene with the young Cleopatra “scampering down the colonnaded walkways of the palace.”
The Classics are Dead! Long Live the Classics! Mary Beard’s New Book|Nick Romeo|September 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
This document was unknown in 1985 when the last page was closed on my seventh Cleopatra.
Chasing Cleopatra: Peter Stothard Writes About the Queen|Peter Stothard|August 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mark Antony supposedly gave the island to Cleopatra as a gift, and King Richard the Lionheart wed Queen Joanna there in 1191.
What Bailout? Six Reasons to Love Cyprus|Kevin Fallon|March 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Later at the Pendleton home, the mother, Cleopatra Crowley-Pendleton, spoke of a daughter who loved reading and writing and Latin.
Chicago Teen Hadiya Pendleton, Called ‘Best in Our City,’ Gunned Down|Michael Daly|January 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Probably he would follow Cleopatra; the fleet, and perhaps the army also, were destroyed.
Cleopatra, Complete|Georg Ebers
Meamoun, whose head was lying on Cleopatra's shoulder, felt as though his reason were leaving him.
One of Cleopatra's Nights and Other Fantastic Romances|Théophile Gautier
Nor must we fail to insist again upon the traditions wherein this last Cleopatra was born and bred.
The Great Events by Famous Historians, Vol. 2|Various
A little to the east of the Frank quarter, as it may be called, stands Cleopatra's Needle.
Letters from Palestine|J. D. Paxton
He slept at the door of Cleopatra's tent, a naked sword at his side, held in his clenched and brawny hand.
Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 7|Elbert Hubbard

British Dictionary definitions for cleopatra (1 of 2)

cleopatra

/ (ˌkliːəˈpætrə, -ˈpɑː-) /

noun

a yellow butterfly, Gonepteryx cleopatra, the male of which has its wings flushed with orange

British Dictionary definitions for cleopatra (2 of 2)

Cleopatra

/ (ˌkliːəˈpætrə, -ˈpɑː-) /

noun

?69–30 bc, queen of Egypt (51–30), renowned for her beauty: the mistress of Julius Caesar and later of Mark Antony. She killed herself with an asp to avoid capture by Octavian (Augustus)

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

Culture definitions for cleopatra

Cleopatra

A queen of Egypt (see also Egypt) in the first century b.c., famous for her beauty, charm, and luxurious living. She lived for some time in Rome with Julius Caesar. For several years after Caesar was assassinated, she lived in Egypt with the Roman politician Mark Antony. Antony killed himself on hearing a false report that she was dead. After Antony's death, Cleopatra committed suicide by allowing an asp, a poisonous snake, to bite her.

notes for Cleopatra

The play Antony and Cleopatra, by William Shakespeare, dramatizes Cleopatra's affair with Antony and her suicide.