HARPY
What does "HARPY" mean?
A winged monster in Greek myth with a woman's face and a bird's body, sent to torment and snatch.
Meanings
- A mythical creature, half woman and half bird of prey, that seized food and people. In the legend, the harpies swooped down and stole the feast from the blind king's table.
- A cruel, grasping, or nagging woman (a dated and pejorative usage). He described his rival as a harpy, a word the report rightly flagged as sexist. informal
- A large, powerful crested eagle of Central and South America, the harpy eagle. The harpy eagle's talons are as long as a grizzly bear's claws. technical
Did you know?
- The real harpy eagle has rear talons around 13 cm long - roughly the size of a grizzly bear's claws - making it one of the most powerful raptors alive.
- The name 'harpy' literally means 'snatcher' in Greek, from 'harpazein' (to seize) - the mythical harpies were storm-wind spirits that carried people off.
Word origin
From Greek 'harpyia', meaning 'snatcher', from 'harpazein' (to seize or snatch); the Romans took it into Latin as 'harpyia'.
Remember it
A HARPY harps and grabs: hear 'harp' at the start, then picture wings that snatch.
A little poem
Woman's face, a vulture's wing,
she takes the bread before the prayer-
named for the verb 'to snatch away'.
tercet
What it teaches
A myth's monster and a slur for a woman share one root; watch which old stories your insults still carry.
Quick facts
What does HARPY mean?
A winged monster in Greek myth with a woman's face and a bird's body, sent to torment and snatch.
Is HARPY a valid word?
Yes — HARPY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is HARPY?
HARPY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does HARPY come from?
From Greek 'harpyia', meaning 'snatcher', from 'harpazein' (to seize or snatch); the Romans took it into Latin as 'harpyia'.
What can HARPY teach us?
A myth's monster and a slur for a woman share one root; watch which old stories your insults still carry.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.