kouros

noun

kou·​ros ˈkü-ˌrȯs How to pronounce kouros (audio)
plural kouroi ˈkü-(ˌ)rȯi How to pronounce kouros (audio)
: an ancient Greek statue of a nude male youth standing with the left leg forward and arms at the sides

Examples of kouros in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This contraction of various facial muscles resonates across the entire arc of human history, from the grinning Greek kouros sculptures of 2,500 years ago right up to emoji, those little images that pepper our online communications. Neil Steinberg, CNN, 13 June 2018 Now, with nary a word of explanation from the Getty, the kouros is gone. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 19 Apr. 2018 Science is what had kept hopes alive that the kouros might be genuine. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 19 Apr. 2018 There are true glam items — an apparitionally perfect marble kouros; a cup attributed to the great Penthesilea Painter — but also homely ones: pottery shards with inscriptions, that kind of thing. Holland Cotter, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kouros.' 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

Greek kouros, koros boy — more at crescent

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kouros was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near kouros

Cite this Entry

“Kouros.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kouros. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

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