Stephen
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Alternative forms
- as a given name: Steven
[edit] Etymology
From Ancient Greek Στέφανος (Stephanos), from στέφανος (stephanos) "crown, wreath", from στέφω (stephō) "to put round, to surround".
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Proper noun
Stephen
- (biblical) The first Christian martyr.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible (Authorized Version), Acts 6:8:
- And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
- 1611, King James Version of the Bible (Authorized Version), Acts 6:8:
- A male given name.
- 1852 William Harrison Ainsworth, Tale of a Carpet-Bag, Ainsworth's Magazine, Vol. 21, page 17:
- I, for my part, ask any candid reader if it was not bad enough to be called Broadfoot, without having it aggravated into Stephen Broadfoot? I feel confident I will here get a tear of sympathy from all unhappy Andrews and Peters, and Aarons and Samuels, with a smile of disdainful compassion from thrice-happy Franks and Charleys and Bills.
- 1952 Thomas Pyles, Words and Ways of American English, Random House, page 245:
- It is doubtless true that American English lacks a tradition for the pronunciation of Anthony, a name which was not often bestowed upon American males until the comparatively recent craze for supposedly swank "British" Christian names, like Stephen, Peter, Michael, etc., in this country.
- 2000 Helen DeWitt, The Last Samurai, Miramax Books(2002), ISBN 0786887001, page 142:
- I thought that ideally it should be a name which could work whether he was serious and reserved or butch, a name like Stephen which could be Steve or David which could be Dave.
- 1852 William Harrison Ainsworth, Tale of a Carpet-Bag, Ainsworth's Magazine, Vol. 21, page 17:
- A patronymic surname.
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
biblical martyr
male given name
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