sibyl
[ sib-uhl ]
/ ˈsɪb əl /
noun
any of certain women of antiquity reputed to possess powers of prophecy or divination.
a female prophet or witch.
RELATED WORDS
seer, forecaster, bard, auspex, prognosticator, magus, wizard, reader, soothsayer, sorcerer, medium, witch, fortuneteller, clairvoyant, diviner, astrologer, oracle, augur, prophetess, druid
Nearby words
- sibiu,
- sibling,
- sibling species,
- sibship,
- sibuyan sea,
- sibylla,
- sibyllic,
- sibylline,
- sibylline books,
- sic
Origin of sibyl
1250–1300; < Greek Síbylla Sibylla; replacing Middle English Sibil < Medieval Latin Sibilla < Greek, as above
Sibyl
or Sib·ylle
[ sib-uh l ]
/ ˈsɪb əl /
noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for sibyl
sibyl
/ (ˈsɪbɪl) /
noun
(in ancient Greece and Rome) any of a number of women believed to be oracles or prophetesses, one of the most famous being the sibyl of Cumae, who guided Aeneas through the underworld
a witch, fortune-teller, or sorceress
Word Origin for sibyl
C13: ultimately from Greek Sibulla, of obscure origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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sibyl
"woman supposed to possess powers of prophecy, female soothsayer," c.1200, from Old French sibile, from Latin Sibylla, from Greek Sibylla, name for any of several prophetesses consulted by ancient Greeks and Romans, of uncertain origin. Said to be from Doric Siobolla, from Attic Theoboule "divine wish."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper