Dictionary

Daphne en · PROPN

Pronunciation

• /ˈdæfni/ (UK, US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek δάφνη (dáphnē, “laurel, bay”).

Meanings

1. (Greek) A dryad pursued by Apollo, who was turned into a laurel tree by the river god Peneus.
   • Run when you will, the story shall be chang'd; / Apollo flies, and Daphne holds the chase; / The dove pursues the griffin c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
2. 41 Daphne, a main belt asteroid.
3. A female given name from Ancient Greek.
   • My wife. Daphne. Yes, that was, is, her name. For some reason people have always found it faintly comic. I think it matches very well her damp, dark, myopic beauty. 1989, John Banville, The Book of Evidence, page 7:

Forms

Deriveds

Daphnian · Daphne Major · Daphnean · daphnin

Synonyms

41 Daphne · ㊶

Translations (29)

grc Δάφνη (mythological dryad) · cs Dafné (mythological dryad) · el Δάφνη (female given name) · ru Да́фна (mythological dryad) · pl Dafne (female given name) · pt Dafne (female given name) · la Daphnē (mythological dryad) · ca Dafne (mythological dryad) · ko 다프네 (mythological dryad) · cmn 桂神星 (Asteroid) · fr Daphné (mythological dryad) · tr Defne (female given name) · pt Daphne (female given name) · pt Dafne (mythological dryad) · it Dafne (mythological dryad) · cmn 達夫妮 /达夫妮 (female given name) · tr Dafni (mythological dryad) · es Dafne (mythological dryad) · el Δάφνη (mythological dryad) · ga Dafnae (mythological dryad) · ar دافني (mythological dryad) · ja ダプネー (mythological dryad) · it Dafne (female given name) · pl Dafne (mythological dryad) · pl Dafne (Asteroid) · fr Daphné (female given name) · uk Да́фна (mythological dryad) · eo Dafno (mythological dryad) · he דַּפְנָה (female given name)