hierophant
[ hahy-er-uh-fant, hahy-ruh-, hahy-er-uh- ]
/ ˈhaɪ ər əˌfænt, ˈhaɪ rə-, haɪˈɛr ə- /
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noun
(in ancient Greece) an official expounder of rites of worship and sacrifice.
any interpreter of sacred mysteries or esoteric principles; mystagogue.
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Origin of hierophant
1670–80; <Late Latin hierophanta<Greek hierophántēs, equivalent to hiero-hiero- + -phántēs, derivative of phaínein to show, make known
OTHER WORDS FROM hierophant
hi·er·o·phan·tic, adjectivehi·er·o·phan·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby hierophant
hieromonk, hieron, Hieronymic, Hieronymite, Hieronymus, hierophant, hierurgy, hifalutin, hi-fi, Higashiosaka, Higashiyama
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use hierophant in a sentence
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British Dictionary definitions for hierophant
hierophant
/ (ˈhaɪərəˌfænt) /
noun
(in ancient Greece) an official high priest of religious mysteries, esp those of Eleusis
a person who interprets and explains esoteric mysteries
Derived forms of hierophant
hierophantic, adjectivehierophantically, adverbWord Origin for hierophant
C17: from Late Latin hierophanta, from Greek hierophantēs, from hiero- + phainein to reveal
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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