a sea nymph who was the lover of Acis.
a maiden who had been an ivory statue carved by Pygmalion and brought to life by Aphrodite in response to his prayers.
First recorded in 1880–85; named after the 19th-century British man-of-war H.M.S. Galatea; the fabric was once used for children's sailor suits
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
All he has to do is scrawl a wobbly triumph of galatea or et in arcadia ego on a canvas, and suddenly he's up there with Roberto Calasso, if not Edward Gibbon.
From Time Magazine Archive
Unfortunately, their larder was lower than it had ever been, since the going down of the galatea.
From Afloat in the Forest A Voyage among the Tree-Tops by Reid, Mayne
Tossed by the tempest, the galatea preserved her course towards the tree-tops, thus keeping up the spirits and confidence of her crew.
From Afloat in the Forest A Voyage among the Tree-Tops by Reid, Mayne
To Richard Trevannion the Mundurucú was comparatively a stranger, known only as a tapuyo employed by his uncle in the management of the galatea.
From Afloat in the Forest A Voyage among the Tree-Tops by Reid, Mayne
The first night after his departure from Coary, he consented that the galatea should lie to,—moored to some bushes that grew upon the banks of the river.
From Afloat in the Forest A Voyage among the Tree-Tops by Reid, Mayne
A statuesque queen breathes life into the creation — the Henry Higgins of her own Eliza Doolittle, the Pygmalion of her Galatea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2023
A short story by the author of “Circe” retells the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
A short story, by the author of “Circe,” retells the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2022
On the inside of her limb you can see a serial number and her name written in script: Galatea.
From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2022
The lovelorn giant knew Galatea would never have him; his case was hopeless.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
