Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • A British novelist: Refers to George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, a 19th-century British writer known for her realistic and psychological portrayals of provincial Victorian society.
   • A British-American poet and playwright: Refers to T.S. Eliot (Thomas Stearns Eliot), a 20th-century poet, literary critic, and playwright, born in the United States but later a British subject, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (George Eliot):

  • We are studying "Middlemarch" by Eliot in our literature class.
  • Eliot's novels provide deep insight into human nature and social constraints.

• Proper noun (T.S. Eliot):

  • "The Waste Land" is perhaps Eliot's most famous poem.
  • Eliot's play "Murder in the Cathedral" is a key work of modern verse drama.

Advanced Usage

• "Eliotian" (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of the works or style of T.S. Eliot.
  • The poem's fragmented structure and allusive style are highly Eliotian.

Variants and Related Words

• George Eliot: The specific pen name for the novelist Mary Ann Evans.
• T.S. Eliot: The common abbreviation for Thomas Stearns Eliot.
• Eliotesque (adj., less common): Resembling the style or themes of T.S. Eliot's work.

Synonyms

• For George Eliot: Victorian novelist, realist writer.
• For T.S. Eliot: Modernist poet, Nobel laureate, critic.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• "April is the cruellest month": A famous opening line from T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land," often quoted or referenced in discussions about spring or modern disillusionment.

  • He quoted Eliot, saying "April is the cruellest month," to describe his gloomy mood.

• "Objective correlative": A literary term popularized by T.S. Eliot's criticism, referring to a set of objects, events, or situations that evoke a particular emotion.

  • The critic analyzed the use of the objective correlative in the short story, a concept formulated by Eliot.

Noun

1. British writer of novels characterized by realistic analysis of provincial Victorian society (1819-1880)
2. British poet (born in the United States) who won the Nobel prize for literature; his plays are outstanding examples of modern verse drama (1888-1965)