banshee

See also: Banshee

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bænˈʃiː/, /ˈbænʃiː/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -iː

Noun

banshee (plural banshees)

  1. (Scotland, Ireland, folklore) A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death.
    • 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott, 3.VII:
      Late had he heard, in prophet's dream, / The fatal Ben-Shie's boding scream […] .
  2. (derogatory) A noisy or ill-tempered woman.

Usage notes

  • A banshee was originally merely a fairy woman who sang a keen (lament) for recently deceased members of certain families. Translations of Irish works into English made a distinction between the banshee and other fairy folk that the original language and original stories do not seem to have, but from which sprung the current image of the banshee.

Derived terms

Descendants

Descendants

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree
Old Irish ben síde
Irish bean sí
English bansheebor.
Portuguese banshee

    Borrowed from English banshee, from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”).

    Noun

    banshee f (plural banshees)

    1. (Irish mythology) banshee (a female spirit who warns of impending death)

    Scots

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic bean-shìdh or Irish ben síde.

    Noun

    banshee

    1. banshee

    References

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