Tiresias

noun

Ti·​re·​si·​as tī-ˈrē-sē-əs How to pronounce Tiresias (audio)
-zē-
: a blind seer of Thebes who in one Greek myth is changed into a woman for several years and then changed back to a man

Examples of Tiresias in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The Oscar winner Rami Malek makes his London debut in the title role, alongside the Olivier winner Indira Varma as Jocasta and Cecilia Noble as the blind, yet all-knowing, Tiresias. Matt Wolf, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025 Protected by a black door with stained glass circles, the Mausoleum Tiresias is the first burial site for trans women in Mexico. Chantal Flores, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2023 Almost as an afterthought, Tiresias tells us about human senses and their vulnerabilities—for instance, premature macular degeneration, which has left Silver, their sight fading, singing hymns about photoreceptors. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Teiresias

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Tiresias was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Tiresias

Cite this Entry

“Tiresias.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Tiresias. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

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