Definition

Proper noun 1. The Moirai: In Greek mythology, the three goddesses who personify and control the destiny of every mortal and, to some extent, the gods. They are the incarnations of fate and are responsible for spinning, measuring, and cutting the thread of life for each individual.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • The Moirai were feared even by Zeus, as they represented a power beyond his control.
  • Ancient Greeks believed the Moirai determined the length and course of a person's life at birth.

Advanced Usage

• "The thread of the Moirai": A metaphorical phrase referring to the course of one's life or destiny as spun and cut by the Fates.
  • His survival of the accident seemed as if he had slipped through the fingers of the Moirai themselves.

Variants and Related Words

• The Fates: The common English name for the Moirai.
• Clotho (Proper noun): The first of the Moirai, who spins the thread of life.
• Lachesis (Proper noun): The second of the Moirai, who measures the length of the thread.
• Atropos (Proper noun): The third of the Moirai, who cuts the thread, ending life.

Synonyms

• The Fates
• Destinies (when personified)

Related Cultural Concepts

• Parcae: The Roman equivalent of the Moirai.
• Norns: The Norse equivalent figures who weave the fate of all beings at the base of the world tree, Yggdrasil.

Noun

1. any of the three Greek goddesses of fate or destiny; identified with the Roman Parcae and similar to the Norse Norns