Daphnis

noun

Daph·​nis ˈdaf-nəs How to pronounce Daphnis (audio)
: a Sicilian shepherd renowned in Greek mythology as the inventor of pastoral poetry

Examples of Daphnis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On the left is the narrower Keeler Gap, where the even tinier moon Daphnis orbits Saturn. Phil Plait, Discover Magazine, 2 Aug. 2010 Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2 , Gabriela Ortiz’s Altar de Bronce, Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin and Debussy’s La Mer, featuring Music Director Rafael Payare and trumpeter Pacho Flores. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Dec. 2023 Claudel took to sculpture in her teens, making busts of famous historical figures (Napoleon, Bismarck) and riffing on mythological and biblical themes (Daphnis and Chloe, David and Goliath). Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 7 Nov. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Daphnis was in 1563

Dictionary Entries Near Daphnis

Cite this Entry

“Daphnis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Daphnis. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on Daphnis

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!