Silenus

or Si·le·nos, Sei·le·nos

[ sahy-lee-nuhs ]

/ saɪˈli nəs /

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noun, plural Si·le·ni

[sahy-lee-nahy] /saɪˈli naɪ/ for 2. Classical Mythology.

a forest spirit, sometimes referred to as the oldest of the satyrs and the foster father, teacher, and companion of Dionysus: often represented as a bearded old man.

(lowercase) any of a group of forest spirits similar to satyrs: often represented as a drunken old man with the legs and ears of a horse.

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Words nearby Silenus

“Silent Night”, silent partner, silent service, silent treatment, silent vote, Silenus, silesia, Silesian, silex, silhouette, silica

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

How to use Silenus in a sentence

The like may be observed both in the "Pollio" and the "Silenus," where the similitudes are drawn from the woods and meadows.
Dryden's Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals|John Dryden
But indeed he seems not to have ever drank out of Silenus's tankard, when he composed either his Critique or Pastorals.
Dryden's Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals|John Dryden
The rustics watched the sleeping Silenus for a long time, wondering who he might be.
Stories of Old Greece and Rome|Emilie Kip Baker
He had a jovial, rotund face, covered in large part by a bushy beard, and would have done excellently as a model for Silenus.
War in the Garden of Eden|Kermit Roosevelt

At the summit of the picture Bacchus and Silenus wave wine-glasses while respectively standing and sitting on hogsheads.
George Cruikshank|W. H. Chesson

British Dictionary definitions for Silenus

Silenus

/ (saɪˈliːnəs) /

noun Greek myth

chief of the satyrs and foster father to Dionysus: often depicted riding drunkenly on a donkey

plural Sileni (saɪˈliːnəɪ) (often not capital) one of a class of woodland deities, closely similar to the satyrs

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