lamia

[ ley-mee-uh ]
See synonyms for lamia on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural la·mi·as, la·mi·ae [ley-mee-ee] /ˈleɪ miˌi/ 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.

  1. (initial capital letter, italics) a narrative poem (1819) by John Keats.

Origin of lamia

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin <Greek lámia a female man-eater

Words Nearby lamia

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

How to use lamia in a sentence

  • Indeed the passion of Demetrius for lamia caused not only his wives but his friends to dislike her and be jealous of her.

British Dictionary definitions for lamia

lamia

/ (ˈleɪmɪə) /


nounplural -mias or -miae (-mɪˌiː)
  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

Origin of lamia

1
C14: via Latin from Greek Lamia

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