Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
Nearby Entries

hetaera

- 5 dictionary results

he⋅tae⋅ra

  [hi-teer-uh]
Use hetaera in a Sentence
–noun, plural -tae⋅rae  [-teer-ee] .
1. a highly cultured courtesan or concubine, esp. in ancient Greece.
2. any woman who uses her beauty and charm to obtain wealth or social position.
Also, hetaira.

Origin:
1810–20; < Gk hetaíra (fem.) companion

Related forms:
he⋅tae⋅ric, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hetaera
he·tae·ra   (hĭ-tîr'ə)   
n.   pl. he·tae·rae (-tîr'ē) or he·tae·ras also he·tai·rai (-tīr'ī') or he·tai·ras
An ancient Greek courtesan or concubine, especially one of a special class of cultivated female companions.

[Greek hetaira, feminine of hetairos, companion; see s(w)e- in Indo-European roots.]
he·tae'ric 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.
Cite This Source

Hetaera

He*t[ae]"ra\, Hetaira \He*tai"ra\, n.; pl. -r[ae]. [NL. See Hetairism.] (Gr. Antiq.) A female paramour; a mistress, concubine, or harlot. -- He*t[ae]"ric, He*tai"ric, a.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
Cite This Source

hetaera 
1820, "mistress," from Mod.L., from Gk. hetaira "female companion," in Athens opposed to "lawful wife," and thus embracing everything from "concubine" to "courtesan;" fem. of hetairos "comrade, companion," from PIE *swet-aro-, suffixed form of base *s(w)e- (see idiom).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

hetaera

(Female Companion), one of a class of professional independent courtesans of ancient Greece who, besides developing physical beauty, cultivated their minds and talents to a degree far beyond that allowed to the average Attic woman. Usually living fashionably alone, or sometimes two or three together, the hetaerae enjoyed an enviable and respected position of wealth and were protected and taxed by the state. Though they were generally foreigners, slaves, or freedwomen, their freedom was greater than that of the married woman, who was bound to seclusion. That their homes were frequented by married men was not censured by society. They were often hired as entertainers for symposia and family sacrifices. The hetaerae of Corinth and Athens were especially noted for their outstanding physical and cultural accomplishments. Phryne and Lais are historic representatives

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

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see hetaera on Thesaurus | Reference