pygmalion

English

Etymology

From Pygmalion, from Ancient Greek Πυγμαλίων (Pugmalíōn), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤏𐤌𐤉𐤕𐤍 (puġ‘mayatun), from Phoenician 𐤐𐤌𐤉𐤉𐤕𐤍 (pumayyaton).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɪɡˈmeɪliən/

Noun

pygmalion (plural pygmalions)

1. 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 fell deeply in love with), 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)

1. Bloody (only in 'not pygmalion likely'), from the sensational, and then scandalous, line "not bloody likely" in George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion.