a poet and lyre-player credited with the authorship of the poems forming the basis of Orphism. He married Eurydice and sought her in Hades after her death. He failed to win her back and was killed by a band of bacchantes
Orpheus in American English
(ˈɔrfiəs; ˈɔrˌfjus)
noun
Greek Mythology
a poet-musician with magic musical powers who descends to the underworld and tries to lead his wife, Eurydice, back from the dead but fails because he breaks the injunction not to look back at her until they reach the upper world
Derived forms
Orphean (ˈOrphean) (ɔrfiən)
adjective
Word origin
L < Gr
Examples of 'Orpheus' in a sentence
Orpheus
At least Orpheus had known where Eurydice was when he had gone in search of her.
Appiganesi, Lisa DREAMS OF INNOCENCE
It was a rare man who could do that, Rob reflected, without ever having heard of Orpheus.