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ephebe

American

[ih-feeb, ef-eeb] / ɪˈfib, ˈɛf ib /

noun

a young man, especially an ephebus.

ephebe British

/ ˈɛfiːb, ɪˈfiːb /

noun

(in ancient Greece) a youth about to enter full citizenship, esp one undergoing military training

"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

Other Word Forms

ephebic

adjective

Etymology

Origin of ephebe

1690–1700; < Latin ephēbus < Greek éphēbos, equivalent to ep- ep- + -hēbos, derivative of hḗbē manhood

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Milton, in one of his translations, wrote about a "slender youth, bedewed with liquid odours"; in Eyres's version, the same ephebe is "drenched in Pour Homme", which is mere product placement.

From The Guardian • Jul. 7, 2013

His glance touched their faces lightly as he smiled, a blond ephebe.

From Ulysses by Joyce, James

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023