ephebe

[ ih-feeb, ef-eeb ]

noun
  1. a young man, especially an ephebus.

Origin of ephebe

1
1690–1700; <Latin ephēbus<Greek éphēbos, equivalent to ep-ep- + -hēbos, derivative of hḗbē manhood

Other words from ephebe

  • e·phe·bic, adjective

Words Nearby ephebe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ephebe in a sentence

  • His glance touched their faces lightly as he smiled, a blond ephebe.

    Ulysses | James Joyce
  • The Greek youth became enamoured of the ephebe in the gymnasium, where they appeared nude and beautiful.

    Acrobats and Mountebanks | Hugues Le Roux

British Dictionary definitions for ephebe

ephebe

/ (ɪˈfiːb, ˈɛfiːb) /


noun
  1. (in ancient Greece) a youth about to enter full citizenship, esp one undergoing military training

Origin of ephebe

1
C19: from Latin ephēbus, from Greek ephēbos, from hēbē young manhood

Derived forms of ephebe

  • ephebic, adjective

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