Harpy

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Harpy \Har"py\ (h[aum]r"p[y^]), n.; pl. {Harpies} (-p[i^]z). [F.
     harpie, L. harpyia, Gr. "a`rpyia, from the root of "arpa`zein
     to snatch, to seize. Cf. {Rapacious}.]
     1. (Gr. Myth.) A fabulous winged monster, ravenous and
        filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a
        vulture, with long claws, and the face pale with hunger.


        Some writers mention two, others three.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Both table and provisions vanished quite.
              With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard.
                                                    --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. One who is rapacious or ravenous; an extortioner.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The harpies about all pocket the pool. --Goldsmith.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Zool.)
        (a) The European moor buzzard or marsh harrier ({Circus
            [ae]ruginosus}).
        (b) A large and powerful, double-crested, short-winged
            American eagle ({Thrasa["e]tus harpyia}). It ranges
            from Texas to Brazil.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     {Harpy bat} (Zool.)
        (a) An East Indian fruit bat of the genus {Harpyia} (esp.
            {Harpyia cephalotes}), having prominent, tubular
            nostrils.
        (b) A small, insectivorous Indian bat ({Harpiocephalus
            harpia}).
  
     {Harpy fly} (Zool.), the house fly.
        [1913 Webster] Harquebus

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  harpy
       n 1: a malicious fierce-tempered woman [syn: {vixen}, {hellcat}]
       2: (Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as
          a bird with the head of a woman
       3: any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene
          distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes
          [syn: {harpy bat}, {tube-nosed bat}, {tube-nosed fruit bat}]
       4: large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America
          [syn: {harpy eagle}, {Harpia harpyja}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  61 Moby Thesaurus words for "harpy":
     Argus, Briareus, Cerberus, Charybdis, Cyclops, Echidna, Gorgon,
     Harpy, Hydra, Loch Ness monster, Medusa, Minotaur, Pegasus, Python,
     Scylla, Sphinx, Talos, Typhon, Xanthippe, amazon, blackmailer,
     bloodsucker, centaur, chimera, cockatrice, dragon, drake,
     extortionist, fishwife, griffin, hippocampus, leech, mermaid,
     merman, nixie, ogre, ogress, predator, profiteer, racketeer,
     raptor, roc, salamander, satyr, scold, sea horse, sea serpent,
     shakedown artist, shark, shrew, siren, termagant, troll, unicorn,
     vampire, vixen, vulture, werewolf, windigo, xiphopagus, zombie