Search Result for "harpy": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (4)

1. a malicious woman with a fierce temper;
[syn: vixen, harpy, hellcat]

2. (Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman;

3. any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes;
[syn: harpy, harpy bat, tube-nosed bat, tube-nosed fruit bat]

4. large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America;
[syn: harpy, harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Harpy \Har"py\ (h[aum]r"p[y^]), n.; pl. Harpies (-p[i^]z). [F. harpie, L. harpyia, Gr. "a`rpyia, from the root of "arpa`zein to snatch, to seize. Cf. Rapacious.] 1. (Gr. Myth.) A fabulous winged monster, ravenous and filthy, having the face of a woman and the body of a vulture, with long claws, and the face pale with hunger. Some writers mention two, others three. [1913 Webster] Both table and provisions vanished quite. With sound of harpies' wings and talons heard. --Milton. [1913 Webster] 2. One who is rapacious or ravenous; an extortioner. [1913 Webster] The harpies about all pocket the pool. --Goldsmith. [1913 Webster] 3. (Zool.) (a) The European moor buzzard or marsh harrier (Circus [ae]ruginosus). (b) A large and powerful, double-crested, short-winged American eagle (Thrasa["e]tus harpyia). It ranges from Texas to Brazil. [1913 Webster] Harpy bat (Zool.) (a) An East Indian fruit bat of the genus Harpyia (esp. Harpyia cephalotes), having prominent, tubular nostrils. (b) A small, insectivorous Indian bat (Harpiocephalus harpia). Harpy fly (Zool.), the house fly. [1913 Webster] Harquebus
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

harpy n 1: a malicious woman with a fierce temper [syn: vixen, harpy, hellcat] 2: (Greek mythology) vicious winged monster; often depicted as a bird with the head of a woman 3: any of various fruit bats of the genus Nyctimene distinguished by nostrils drawn out into diverging tubes [syn: harpy, harpy bat, tube-nosed bat, tube-nosed fruit bat] 4: large black-and-white crested eagle of tropical America [syn: harpy, harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja]