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.”
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Examples from the Web for cleopatra
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
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Word Origin and History for cleopatra
Cleopatra
common name of sister-queens in Egypt under the Ptolemaic Dynasty. The name is Greek, probably meaning "key to the fatherland," from kleis "key" (see clavicle) + patris, genitive of pater "father" (see father (n.)). The famous queen was the seventh of that name.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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.
Note
The play Antony and Cleopatra, by William Shakespeare, dramatizes Cleopatra's affair with Antony and her suicide.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.