Harpies

Cultural  

1. Vicious winged beings in classical mythology, often depicted as birds with women's faces. In the story of Jason, they steal or spoil an old blind man's food, leaving a terrible odor behind them.

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Example Sentences

We encounter it first in Homer’s “Iliad” and then again in Virgil’s “Aeneid,” where it appears at the doors of Hades alongside Gorgons, centaurs and Harpies.

From New York Times • Feb. 16, 2023

The images of Chiron the centaur and his pupil Odysseus, or the purposeful winged Harpies, are burned into me.

From The Guardian • May 23, 2020

The Greek hero sails through Harpies and clashing rocks to the Golden Fleece, guarded by the Hydra.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 18, 2019

But he barely has time to take a victory lap, because he's still got to see to the swarm of Harpies that materialize in the arena — you know what that means!

From The Verge • Jun. 10, 2015

Their next adventure was with the Harpies, frightful flying creatures with hooked beaks and claws who always left behind them a loathsome stench, sickening to all living creatures.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton