Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A Jezebel; an evil, scheming, shameless or immoral woman, especially one who uses physical attractiveness to evil ends.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Delias hyparete, a species of butterfly of the family Pieridae.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Jezebel, the Phoenician princess and Queen of Ancient Israel who appears in the Old Testament (1 Kings). She incited heresy and lured the Jews away from their God and back to idols. Before her death, knowing that she was soon to be slain, she took the time to fix her hair and paint her face. From the 16th century, some people believed that makeup was worn only by immoral women; hence the wearing of makeup implied immorality.
