Paphian

[ pey-fee-uh n ]

/ ˈpeɪ fi ən /

adjective

of or relating to Paphos, an ancient city of Cyprus sacred to Aphrodite.

of or relating to love, especially illicit sexual love; erotic; wanton.

noting or pertaining to Aphrodite or to her worship or service.

noun

the Paphian, Aphrodite: so called from her cult center at Paphos.

(often lowercase) a prostitute.

Origin of Paphian

1605–15; < Latin Paphi(us) (< Greek Páphios of Paphos, of Aphrodite) + -an

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

Examples from the Web for paphian

He might have been an overgrown and badly dressed Cupid who had innocently wandered from Paphian shores.
Stories in Light and Shadow|Bret Harte
A tear the Paphian sheds for each blood-drop of Adonis, and tears and blood on the earth are turned to flowers.
Theocritus, Bion and Moschus|Theocritus
Would you worship the Paphian goddess, the groves of Cyprus are not more taciturn than those of the Temple.
The Warden|Anthony Trollope
A small model of a temple is peculiarly Phnician, like that repeated upon Paphian coins.
History of Ancient Art|Franz von Reber

Paphian; a reference to Paphos in Cyprus where Aphrodit first set foot after her birth from sea foam.
English Narrative Poems|Various

British Dictionary definitions for paphian

Paphian

/ (ˈpeɪfɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Paphos

of or relating to Aphrodite

literary of sexual love

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