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Harpy

[ hahr-pee ]
/ ˈhɑr pi /
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noun, plural Har·pies.
Classical Mythology. a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
(lowercase) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman; shrew.
(lowercase) a greedy, predatory person.
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Origin of Harpy

<Latin Harpȳia, singular of Harpȳiae<Greek Hárpȳiai (plural), literally, snatchers, akin to harpázein to snatch away

OTHER WORDS FROM Harpy

harp·y·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Harpy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Harpy (1 of 2)

harpy
/ (ˈhɑːpɪ) /

noun plural -pies
a cruel grasping woman

Word Origin for harpy

C16: from Latin Harpyia, from Greek Harpuiai the Harpies, literally: snatchers, from harpazein to seize

British Dictionary definitions for Harpy (2 of 2)

Harpy
/ (ˈhɑːpɪ) /

noun plural -pies
Greek myth a ravenous creature with a woman's head and trunk and a bird's wings and claws
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
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