Pythia

[ pith-ee-uh ]

nounGreek Mythology.
  1. the priestess of Apollo at Delphi who delivered the oracles.

Origin of Pythia

1
<Latin Pȳthia<Greek Pȳthía, feminine of PȳthiósPythian

Words Nearby Pythia

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How to use Pythia in a sentence

  • It is only five miles to the cavern of the Pythia of Hindostan; the road runs through a jungle, but it is level and smooth.

    From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan | Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
  • The priestess who delivered the oracles was called the Pythia, after the serpent Python, which was killed by Apollo.

  • When Alexander the Great came to consult the same oracle, the Pythia was disinclined to perform.

  • The cavity was approached with reverence; a tripod was placed over it; and a priestess or Pythia was appointed to preside.

    The Student's Mythology | Catherine Ann White
  • The Pythia was obliged to prepare by fasts, sacrifices and purifications before she ascended the tripod.

    The Student's Mythology | Catherine Ann White

British Dictionary definitions for Pythia

Pythia

/ (ˈpɪθɪə) /


noun
  1. Greek myth the priestess of Apollo at Delphi, who transmitted the oracles

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