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cornucopia

 - 4 dictionary results

cor⋅nu⋅co⋅pi⋅a

  [kawr-nuh-koh-pee-uh, -nyuh-]
Use cornucopia in a Sentence
–noun
1. Classical Mythology. a horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea.
2. a representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance.
3. an abundant, overflowing supply.
4. a horn-shaped or conical receptacle or ornament.
Origin:
1585–95; < LL, equiv. to L cornū horn (see cornu ) + cōpiae of plenty (gen. s. of cōpia); see copious

Related forms:
cor⋅nu⋅co⋅pi⋅an, adjective
cor⋅nu⋅co⋅pi⋅ate  [kawr-nuh-koh-pee-it] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cor·nu·co·pi·a   (kôr'nə-kō'pē-ə, -nyə-)   
n.  

  1. A goat's horn overflowing with fruit, flowers, and grain, signifying prosperity. Also called horn of plenty.

  2. Greek Mythology The horn of the goat that suckled Zeus, which broke off and became filled with fruit. In folklore, it became full of whatever its owner desired.

  3. A cone-shaped ornament or receptacle.

  4. An overflowing store; an abundance: a cornucopia of employment opportunities.


[Late Latin cornūcōpia, from Latin cornū cōpiae : cornū, horn; see cornu + cōpiae, genitive of cōpia, plenty; see op- in Indo-European roots.]
cor'nu·co'pi·an adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

cornucopia 
1508, from L. cornu copiæ "horn of plenty," originally the horn of the goat Amalthea, who nurtured the infant Zeus. See horn and copious.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

cornucopia

decorative motif, dating from ancient Greece, that symbolizes abundance. The motif originated as a curved goat's horn filled to overflowing with fruit and grain. It is emblematic of the horn possessed by Zeus's nurse, the Greek nymph Amalthaea (q.v.), which could be filled with whatever the owner wished.

Learn more about cornucopia with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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