pythoness

/'paiθənes/

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Thân thiện

The priestess, a pythoness, gazes into the sacred smoke to deliver an oracle.

Definition

Noun:
- (Greek mythology) The priestess of Apollo at Delphi who transmitted oracles: In ancient Greek religion, a "pythoness" was specifically the Pythia, the high priestess of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, who served as the oracle, delivering prophecies while in a trance-like state.
- A witch or prophetess with powers of divination: More broadly, the term can refer to any woman believed to possess prophetic or divinatory powers, often with connotations of sorcery or witchcraft.

Usage Examples

Noun (Historical/Mythological):
- The ancient Greeks consulted the pythoness at Delphi for guidance on important matters of state.
- The words of the pythoness were often cryptic and required interpretation by priests.
Noun (General/Figurative):
- The old woman in the village was feared as a pythoness who could foresee death.
- She spoke with such strange certainty that they called her a modern pythoness.

Advanced Usage

The term is often used in literary or historical contexts to evoke a sense of ancient, mystical, or ominous prophecy.
It can be employed figuratively to describe a woman who makes authoritative and seemingly infallible predictions, sometimes with a critical or skeptical tone.
- The financial analyst was hailed as a pythoness for her accurate market forecasts.

Variants and Related Words

Pythia: The proper name for the priestess of Apollo at Delphi; a direct synonym in the mythological context.
Oracle: A broader term for a person or place through which a deity is believed to speak prophecies.
Sibyl: Another term from classical antiquity for a prophetess, often used interchangeably in a general sense.
Prophetess: A woman who delivers divine messages or predictions.
Seeress: A woman who is credited with extraordinary insight into the future.

Synonyms

Related Phrases/Idioms

The Delphic oracle: A common phrase referring to the prophecies from Delphi, delivered by the pythoness/Pythia. Something described as "Delphic" is ambiguously oracular.
- His statement was Delphic, leaving us more confused than before.
To speak like a pythoness: To utter predictions or statements in a cryptic, authoritative, or mystical manner.
- The leader spoke like a pythoness, leaving her followers to decipher her true meaning.

The priestess, a pythoness, gazes into the sacred smoke to deliver an oracle.

Noun

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