Paphian

[ pey-fee-uhn ]

/ ˈpeɪ fi ən /

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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.

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Origin of Paphian

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

Words nearby Paphian

paperweight, paper-white narcissus, paperwork, papery, papeterie, Paphian, Paphian Goddess, Paphlagonia, Paphos, Papiamento, papier collé

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Paphian in a sentence

Paphian; a reference to Paphos in Cyprus where Aphrodit first set foot after her birth from sea foam.
English Narrative Poems|Various
No Paphian girls were introduced; no practical jokes were played; the cook and the housemaid remained in the servants quarters.
The Love Affairs of Lord Byron|Francis Henry Gribble
Hence will it tend to dissensualise its nature into fantastic passions, the idolatry of Paphian priestesses.
Anima Poet|Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Another resembles the Paphian myrtles; another the purple amethysts, or the white roses, or the Thracian crane.
Ars Amatoria, or The Art Of Love|Ovid

He had seen this woman, white breasted like the foam, rising as the ancient goddess from the Paphian Sea.
The Chalice Of Courage|Cyrus Townsend Brady

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