pygmalion
English
Etymology
From Pygmalion, from Ancient Greek Πυγμαλίων (Pugmalíōn), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pmyytn).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɪɡˈmeɪliɒn/
Noun
pygmalion (plural pygmalions)
- One who acts as the legendary Greek sculptor Pygmalion (who was granted the wish of having life given to a sculpture of his which he loved a great deal), as in George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in which he sometimes refers to his main character (Henry Higgins) as Pygmalion Higgins.
Adjective
pygmalion (not comparable)
- Bloody (only in 'not pygmalion likely'), from the sensational, and then scandalous, line "not bloody likely" in George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.