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Eidolon

[ay-DOH-lən]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 19th century

1.

An idealized person or thing.

2.

A specter or phantom.

Examples of Eidolon in a sentence

"Marilyn Monroe was once the eidolon of femininity."

"The movie “Poltergeist” has a menacing eidolon that haunts a family’s new home."

About Eidolon

This word, which first appeared around the 1820s, stems from the Greek “eidōlon,” from “eidos,” meaning “form.”

Did you Know?

The eidolon of Hamlet’s father is a somber presence in the Shakespeare play. According to some accounts, the playwright took on the role of the ghost himself in its original productions.

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