Philoctetes
noun
Phi·loc·te·tes
fi-ˈläk-tə-ˌtēz 
ˌfi-läk-ˈtē-tēz
: a Greek archer who uses the bow of Hercules to slay Paris at Troy
Examples of Philoctetes in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then the Trojan War dragged on for a decade, and a seer told Odysseus that the Greeks couldn’t win without Philoctetes.
—
Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Elif Batuman, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Philoctetes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Philoctetes. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share