Galatea

noun

Gal·​a·​tea ˌga-lə-ˈtē-ə How to pronounce Galatea (audio)
: a female figure sculpted by Pygmalion and given life by Aphrodite in fulfillment of his prayer

Examples of Galatea in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With: Galatea Bellugi, Carlotta Gamba, Veronica Lucchesi, Maria Vittoria Dallasta, Sara Mafodda, Paolo Rossi, Elio, Natalino Balasso, Anita Kravos, Vincenzo Crea, Jasmin Mattei. Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2024 Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology’s Galatea Lab in Neuchâtel, Switzerland shined femtosecond laser light onto tellurite glass to effectively create a semiconductor crystal that generates a current when exposed to light. IEEE Spectrum, 12 Feb. 2024 Paintings that depict this moment, for example by Raoux (1717), Regnault (1786), and Burne-Jones (1868-70 and 1878), accentuate the whiteness of Galatea’s flesh. Mark Paterson, The Conversation, 26 Jan. 2024 Apollonia had evolved from feisty but pliant Galatea to confident creative force. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Elsewhere, Claudel’s terra-cotta figure Young Girl With a Sheaf is shown alongside Rodin’s celebrated marble Galatea. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 The Mayflower defends the America’s Cup by beating Britain’s Galatea in two straight heats. 1937 — Don Budge beats Gottfried von Cramm in five sets to win his first U.S. Open men’s singles title. Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Galatea.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Galateia

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Galatea was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Galatea

Cite this Entry

“Galatea.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Galatea. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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