harpy

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Har·py

(här′pē)

n. pl. Har·pies

1. Greek Mythology One of several loathsome, voracious monsters with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail, wings, and talons of a bird.

2. harpy A predatory person.

3. harpy A shrewish woman.

[Latin harpȳia, singular of Latin harpȳiae, the Harpies, from Greek harpūiai.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

harpy

(ˈhɑːpɪ)

n, pl -pies

a cruel grasping woman

[C16: from Latin Harpyia, from Greek Harpuiai the Harpies, literally: snatchers, from harpazein to seize]

Harpy

(ˈhɑːpɪ)

n, pl -pies

(Classical Myth & Legend) Greek myth a ravenous creature with a woman's head and trunk and a bird's wings and claws

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Har•py

(ˈhɑr pi)

n., pl. -pies.

1. any of a group of winged supernatural beings of classical myth, two or three in number, portrayed by later authors as rapacious female monsters.

2. (l.c.) a scolding, bad-tempered woman; shrew.

3. (l.c.) a greedy, predatory person.

[1540–50; < Latin Harpȳia, singular of Harpȳiae < Greek Hárpȳiai (pl.), literally, snatchers, akin to harpázein to snatch away]

harp′y•like`, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	harpy - a malicious woman with a fierce temper hellcat, vixen disagreeable woman, unpleasant woman - a woman who is an unpleasant person
	2.	Harpy - (Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman Greek mythology - the mythology of the ancient Greeks mythical creature, mythical monster - a monster renowned in folklore and myth
	3.	harpy - any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes harpy bat, tube-nosed bat, tube-nosed fruit bat fruit bat, megabat - large Old World bat of warm and tropical regions that feeds on fruit genus Nyctimene, Nyctimene - East Indian fruit bats
	4.	harpy - large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America Harpia harpyja, harpy eagle bird of Jove, eagle - any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight genus Harpia, Harpia - a genus of Accipitridae

harpy

noun

A person, traditionally a woman, who persistently nags or criticizes:

fishwife, fury, scold, shrew, termagant, virago, vixen.

Informal: battle-ax.

Translations

chipie

arpia

harpy

[ˈhɑːpɪ] N → arpía f

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

harpy

[ˈhɑː^rpi] n

(in mythology) → harpie f

(pejorative) (= woman) → mégère f, harpie f

harpy

n → Harpyie f; (= shrewish woman) → Hexe f; (= grasping person) → Hyäne f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Harpy

[ˈhɑːpɪ] n (Myth) (fig) → arpia

References in periodicals archive ?

When we questioned this, we were threatened and called "baby stealers," and were told there was a court order for the visits u such an order never existed.