Orpheus Definition
ôrfē-əs, -fyo͝os
noun
A Thracian poet and musician whose music had the power to move even inanimate objects and who almost succeeded in rescuing his wife Eurydice from Hades.
American Heritage
A poet-musician with magic musical powers who descends to the underworld and tries to lead his wife, Eurydice, back from the dead but fails because he breaks the injunction not to look back at her until they reach the upper world.
Webster's New World
Origin of Orpheus
-
Latin Orpheus from Greek orbh- in Indo-European roots
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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