Adjacent Words

Sibyl definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SIB'YL, n. [from the L.] In pagan antiquity, the Sibyls were certain said to be endowed with a prophetic spirit. Their number is variously stated; but the opinion of Varro, who states them to have been ten, is generally adopted. They resided in various parts of Persia, Greece and Italy. It is pretended that they wrote certain prophecies on leaves in verse, which are called Sibylline verses, or Sibylline oracles.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a woman who tells fortunes
2: (ancient Rome) a woman who was regarded as an oracle or prophet

Merriam Webster's

noun Usage: often capitalized Etymology: Middle English sibile, sybylle, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French sibile, from Latin sibylla, from Greek Date: 14th century 1. any of several prophetesses usually accepted as 10 in number and credited to widely separate parts of the ancient world (as Babylonia, Egypt, Greece, and Italy) 2. a. prophetess b. fortune-teller • sibylic or sibyllic adjective • sibylline adjective

Britannica Concise

Prophetess of Greek legend. She was a figure of the mythical past whose prophecies, phrased in Greek hexameters, were handed down in writing. In the late 4th cent. BC, the number of sibyls multiplied, and the term sibyl was treated as a title. Sibyls were associated with various oracles, especially those of Apollo, who was said to be their inspiration. They were typically depicted as extremely old women living in caves, who delivered their prophecies in an ecstatic frenzy. A famous collection of prophecies, the Sibylline Books, was traditionally kept in the temple of Jupiter, to be consulted only in emergencies.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 any of the women in ancient times supposed to utter the oracles and prophecies of a god. 2 a prophetess, fortune-teller, or witch. Etymology: ME f. OF Sibile or med.L Sibilla f. L Sibylla f. Gk Sibulla

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Sibyl Sib"yl, n. [L. sibylla, Gr. ????.] 1. (Class. Antiq.) A woman supposed to be endowed with a spirit of prophecy. Note: The number of the sibyls is variously stated by different authors; but the opinion of Varro, that there were ten, is generally adopted. They dwelt in various parts of Persia, Greece, and Italy. 2. A female fortune teller; a pythoness; a prophetess. ``An old highland sibyl.'' --Sir W. Scott.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Prophetess, sorceress, fortune-teller, witch.