Holofernes

noun

Ho·​lo·​fer·​nes ˌhä-lə-ˈfər-(ˌ)nēz How to pronounce Holofernes (audio)
ˌhō-
: a general of Nebuchadnezzar's who led an Assyrian army against Israel and was beheaded in his sleep by Judith

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek Holophernēs

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Holofernes was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near Holofernes

Cite this Entry

“Holofernes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Holofernes. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!