Hecate

or Hek·a·te

[ hek-uh-tee; in Shakespeare hek-it ]

/ ˈhɛk ə ti; in Shakespeare ˈhɛk ɪt /

noun Classical Mythology.

a goddess of the earth and Hades, associated with sorcery, hounds, and crossroads.

Origin of Hecate

< Latin < Greek hekátē, noun use of feminine of hékatos far-shooting, said of Apollo as sun-god

Related forms

Hec·a·te·an, Hec·a·tae·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hecate

Hecate, almost a centenarian, occupied a corner of her son's barn.
The International Monthly, Volume 5, No. 4, April, 1852|Various
Why, it was merrily done; when the old hag set her serpent at me, and Hecate stood by laughing from ear to ear—what could I do?
The Last Days of Pompeii|Edward George Bulwer-Lytton
When Diana goes to hell, her name changes to Hecate, but love among the devils is called love still!
Mary Marston|George MacDonald
And propitiate only-begotten Hecate, daughter of Perses, pouring from a goblet the hive-stored labour of bees.
The Argonautica|Apollonius Rhodius

She was mightier in will than the wise woman, and, as Hecate could summon her priestesses, so Saronia could call the witch.
Saronia|Richard Short

British Dictionary definitions for hecate

Hecate

Hekate

/ (ˈhɛkətɪ) /

noun

Greek myth a goddess of the underworld

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