Tarpeian Rock
[ tahr-pee-uh n ]
/ tɑrˈpi ən /
noun
a rock on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, from which criminals and traitors were hurled.
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Origin of Tarpeian Rock
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British Dictionary definitions for tarpeian rock
Tarpeian Rock
/ (tɑːˈpiːən) /
noun
(in ancient Rome) a cliff on the Capitoline hill from which traitors were hurled
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for tarpeian rock
Tarpeian rock
rock face on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, from which persons convicted of treason were thrown headlong, from Latin (mons) Tarpeius "(rock) of Tarpeia," said to have been a Vestal virgin who betrayed the capitol to the Sabines and was buried at the foot of the rock. Her name probably is of Etruscan-Tyrrhenian origin.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper