Lorelei

American

[lawr-uh-lahy, loh-ruh-lahy] / ˈlɔr əˌlaɪ, ˈloʊ rəˌlaɪ /

noun

a quasilegendary nymph of the Rhine who lured sailors to shipwreck on her rock by singing: a creation of Clemens Brentano in a poem of 1800.
a female given name.

Lorelei British

/ ˈlɒrəˌlaɪ /

noun

(in German legend) a siren, said to dwell on a rock at the edge of the Rhine south of Koblenz, who lures boatmen to destruction

"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

Etymology

Origin of Lorelei

< German, variant of Lurlei, cliff overlooking the Rhine, thought to be the abode of a nymph

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In addition to reflections about the medium itself, Lorelei contains traces of postmodern novels and the cinema of the French New Wave.

From New York Times • May 15, 2024

Lorelei King, 69, was holding two A4 posters, which she showed to the former health secretary as he stepped out of a black Jaguar.

From BBC • Jun. 27, 2023

In California, Lorelei Barrett and Athena Ryan qualified for the state preliminary track-and-field championships in May with top-three finishes in the 1600m.

From Washington Times • Jun. 1, 2023

Last weekend, Lorelei Barrett of Sherman Oaks Buckley finished third and Athena Ryan of Santa Rosa Sonoma Academy second in the girls’ 1600-meter races at their respective sectional meets.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2023

“I never even had a chance to tell him there’s no Lorelei Lumley!”

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023