lamia

la·mi·a

[ley-mee-uh]
noun, plural la·mi·as, la·mi·ae [-mee-ee] , for 1, 2.
1.
Classical Mythology. one of a class of fabulous monsters, commonly represented with the head and breast of a woman and the body of a serpent, said to allure youths and children in order to suck their blood.
2.
a vampire; a female demon.
3.
( initial capital letter, italics ) a narrative poem (1819) by John Keats.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek lámia a female man-eater

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Collins
World English Dictionary
lamia (ˈleɪmɪə) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl -mias, -miae
1.  classical myth one of a class of female monsters depicted with a snake's body and a woman's head and breasts
2.  a vampire or sorceress
 
[C14: via Latin from Greek Lamia]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Lamia is always a great word to know.
So is Elysium. Does it mean:
the god of fertility, wine, and drama; Bacchus
the abode of the blessed after death
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

lamia
1382, from Gk., "female vampire," lit. "swallower, lecher," from laimos "throat, gullet." Probably cognate with L. lemures "spirits of the dead" (see lemur). Used in early translations of the Bible for screech owls and sea monsters.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

lamia

city of central Greece in the Sperkhios River valley at the foot of the Othris Mountains, near the Gulf of Euboea. It is the capital of the Fthiotis nomos (department) and the seat of a bishop of the Greek Orthodox church. Lamia commands the strategic Fourka Pass leading northwestward into Thessaly (Thessalia).

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

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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