English Dictionary

HARPY

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Harpy mean? 

HARPY (noun)
  The noun HARPY has 4 senses:

1. a malicious woman with a fierce temperplay

2. (Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a womanplay

3. any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubesplay

4. large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical Americaplay

  Familiarity information: HARPY used as a noun is uncommon.


 Dictionary entry details 


HARPY (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A malicious woman with a fierce temper

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

harpy; hellcat; vixen

Hypernyms ("harpy" is a kind of...):

disagreeable woman; unpleasant woman (a woman who is an unpleasant person)


Sense 2

Meaning:

(Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Harpy" is a kind of...):

mythical creature; mythical monster (a monster renowned in folklore and myth)

Domain category:

Greek mythology (the mythology of the ancient Greeks)


Sense 3

Meaning:

Any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

harpy; harpy bat; tube-nosed bat; tube-nosed fruit bat

Hypernyms ("harpy" is a kind of...):

fruit bat; megabat (large Old World bat of warm and tropical regions that feeds on fruit)

Holonyms ("harpy" is a member of...):

genus Nyctimene; Nyctimene (East Indian fruit bats)


Sense 4

Meaning:

Large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Harpia harpyja; harpy; harpy eagle

Hypernyms ("harpy" is a kind of...):

bird of Jove; eagle (any of various large keen-sighted diurnal birds of prey noted for their broad wings and strong soaring flight)

Holonyms ("harpy" is a member of...):

genus Harpia; Harpia (a genus of Accipitridae)


 Context examples 


These animals include jaguars, Spix's macaws, harpy eagles, vinaceous-breasted amazons, crowned solitary eagles, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, tarantulas, Amazon false coral snakes, Brazilian green racer snakes, cream-colored woodpeckers, blue spiny starfish, sharks, seahorses, piaba fish, sawfish, bluefin tuna, brown howler monkeys.

(Over 300 animal species threatened in Bahia, Agência Brasil)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"You have to crawl before you can walk." (English proverb)

"Every animal knows more than you do." (Native American proverb, Nez Perce)

"Old habits die hard" (Arabic proverb)

"Flatter the mother to get the girl." (Corsican proverb)



ALSO IN ENGLISH DICTIONARY:


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