definitions

lamia

[ ley-mee-uh ]
/ ˈleɪ mi ə /
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noun, plural la·mi·as, la·mi·ae [ley-mee-ee] /ˈleɪ miˌi/ for 1, 2.

Classical Mythology. one of a class of fabulous monsters, commonly represented with the head and breast of a woman and the body of a serpent, said to allure youths and children in order to suck their blood.
a vampire; a female demon.
(initial capital letter, italics) a narrative poem (1819) by John Keats.

RELATED WORDS

magician, enchanter, hag, conjurer, sorceress, enchantress, sorcerer, necromancer, occultist

Nearby words

lamentations, lamented, lamerie, lamesa, lamestream, lamia, lamina, lamina fusca sclerae, lamina of lens, lamina of vertebral arch, lamina propria mucosae

Origin of lamia

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek lámia a female man-eater
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

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British Dictionary definitions for lamia

lamia

/ (ˈleɪmɪə) /

noun plural -mias or -miae (-mɪˌiː)

classical myth one of a class of female monsters depicted with a snake's body and a woman's head and breasts
a vampire or sorceress

Word Origin for lamia

C14: via Latin from Greek Lamia
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