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Messalina

American  
[mes-uh-lahy-nuh] / ˌmɛs əˈlaɪ nə /

noun

  1. Valeria, died a.d. 48, third wife of Claudius I.


Messalina British  
/ ˌmɛsəˈliːnə /

noun

  1. Valeria (vəˈlɪərɪə). died 48 ad , wife of the Roman emperor Claudius, notorious for her debauchery and cruelty

"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

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.

Later we meet Messalina, who remains a byword for manipulative awfulness.

From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2013

In Claudius the God, which followed, Graves pictured Claudius as the one Roman who believed that his wife, Messalina, was an honest woman, preserved the flavor of an old chronicle in a lively, modern story.

From Time Magazine Archive

In all his tribulations his adored young wife Messalina was his greatest comfort.

From Time Magazine Archive

This unwonted suddenness of action on the part of the emperor was precisely what Messalina and Silius did not anticipate.

From Roman Women by Brittain, Alfred

If Messalina counted on the fidelity of the freedmen, to whose friendship she had many times confided her safety, she erred: for on this occasion they fatally betrayed her.

From Roman Women by Brittain, Alfred