Definitions for Sappho
ˈsæf oʊsap·pho

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sapphonoun

   the Greek lyric poet of Lesbos; much admired although only fragments of her poetry have been preserved (6th century BC)

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Sapphonoun

   An Ancient Greek female name, particularly borne by a poetess from Lesbos who lived between 630 and 570 BC (exact dates unknown).

2. Etymology: From Σαπφώ.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sappho

   Sappho (; Greek: Σαπφώ Sapphō [sap.pʰɔ̌ː]; Aeolic Greek Ψάπφω Psápphō; c. 630 – c. 570 BC) was an Archaic Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied by music. In ancient times, Sappho was widely regarded as one of the greatest lyric poets and was given names such as the "Tenth Muse" and "The Poetess". Most of Sappho's poetry is now lost, and what is extant has mostly survived in fragmentary form; only the "Ode to Aphrodite" is certainly complete. As well as lyric poetry, ancient commentators claimed that Sappho wrote elegiac and iambic poetry. Three epigrams attributed to Sappho are extant, but these are actually Hellenistic imitations of Sappho's style. Little is known of Sappho's life. She was from a wealthy family from Lesbos, though her parents' names are uncertain. Ancient sources say that she had three brothers; Charaxos (Χάραξος), Larichos (Λάριχος) and Eurygios (Εὐρύγιος). Two of them, Charaxos and Larichos, are also mentioned in the Brothers Poem discovered in 2014. She was exiled to Sicily around 600 BC, and may have continued to work until around 570 BC. According to legend, she killed herself by leaping from the Leucadian cliffs due to her love for the ferryman Phaon. Sappho was a prolific poet, probably composing around 10,000 lines. Her poetry was well-known and greatly admired through much of antiquity, and she was among the canon of Nine Lyric Poets most highly esteemed by scholars of Hellenistic Alexandria. Sappho's poetry is still considered extraordinary and her works continue to influence other writers. Beyond her poetry, she is well known as a symbol of love and desire between women, with the English words sapphic and lesbian deriving from her name and that of her home island respectively.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sapphonoun

   any one of several species of brilliant South American humming birds of the genus Sappho, having very bright-colored and deeply forked tails; -- called also firetail

2. Etymology: [See Sapphic.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sappho

   Sappho was a Greek lyric poet, born on the island of Lesbos. The Alexandrians included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BCE, and it is said that she died around 570 BCE, but little is known for certain about her life. The bulk of her poetry, which was well-known and greatly admired through much of antiquity, has been lost, but her immense reputation has endured through surviving fragments.

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sappho

   a lyric poetess of Greece of the 7th century B.C., and a contemporary of Alcæus; was a woman of strong passions and of questionable morality, but of undoubted genius, her lyrics being among the masterpieces of antiquity, though only two of her odes and some short fragments of others remain; of her history little is known, and what is known is far from reliable.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sappho

   What does the name Sappho's mean?

   
   

   Submitted by babstone53 on March 7, 2022  

MythologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Sappho

   (Sap′pho), a celebrated poetess, a native of Lesbos, who flourished in the seventh centuryHer only connection with the goddesses of the time is that the Greeks called her “The tenth Muse.”

Matched Categories

1. • Lesbian
   • Poetess

How to pronounce Sappho?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say Sappho in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Sappho in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Sappho in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

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