Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Aesop: The name of a Greek storyteller and fabulist, traditionally believed to have lived in the 6th century BC. He is credited with a collection of fables, often featuring animals with human traits, that convey moral lessons.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The moral of this story is like one from Aesop.
  • Many of Aesop's fables, such as "The Tortoise and the Hare," are known worldwide.

Advanced Usage

• "Aesopian" (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of Aesop or his fables; often used to describe a story with a hidden meaning or moral.
  • The politician's speech had an Aesopian quality, requiring careful interpretation.
• "In the manner of Aesop": Told in a style resembling his fables, using simple narratives to illustrate a point.
  • He explained the complex economic principle in the manner of Aesop, with a short, allegorical tale.

Variants and Related Words

• Aesopic (adjective): An alternative adjective form meaning of or relating to Aesop or his fables.
• Fable (noun): A short story, typically with animals as characters, conveying a moral; the literary form Aesop used.

Synonyms

• Fabulist: A composer or teller of fables.
• Storyteller: A person who tells stories.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "An Aesop's fable": Used to refer to any brief tale that teaches an obvious moral lesson.
  • Their cautionary tale about greed was a modern Aesop's fable.
• "The moral of the story": A phrase strongly associated with the ending of Aesop's fables, summarizing the lesson learned.
  • And the moral of the story, just like in Aesop, is that honesty is always the best policy.

Noun

1. Greek author of fables (circa 620-560 BC)