- θήρ
- θήρ, θηρός, [dialect] Ep. dat. pl. θήρεσσι, ὁ: later also ἡ, Ael.NA6.24, etc.: (v. sub fin.):—A beast of prey, esp. a lion (so used in Cephallenia, Sch. Il.15.324), Il.15.586, etc.; ὁ Νέμειος θ. E.HF153: coupled with λέων, ib.465, Epimenid.2: with λέαινα, AP14.63.4 (Mesom.); of the wild boar, Ἐρυμάνθιος θ. S.Tr.1097; of Cerberus, Id.OC1569 (lyr.); ὁ θ., of a hind, Id.El.572: pl., generally, beasts, opp. birds and fishes,
ἠέ που ἐν πόντῳ φάγον ἰσθύες, ἢ ἐπὶ χέρσου θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖσιν ἕλωρ γένετ' Od.24.291
;ἰχθύσι μὲν καὶ θηρσὶ καὶ οἰωνοῖς πετεηνοῖς Hes.Op.277
;ἐν θηρσίν, ἐν βροτοῖσιν, ἐν θεοῖς ἄνω S.Fr.941.12
;ἐν ἄγρῃ θηρῶν Hdt. 3.129
;ἄφοβοι θῆρες S.Aj.366
: metaph., θῆρες ξιφήρεις, of Orestes and Pylades, E.Or.1272, cf. Ph.1296 (lyr.); ἡ σφοδρότης . . θηρός (sc. Ἔρωτος) Alex.245.12: prov.,ἔγνω θὴρ θῆρα Arist.Rh.1371b16
.2 of any living creature, πλωτοὶ θῆρες, i.e. dolphins, Arion 1.5; of vermin killed by birds, Ar.Av.1064 (lyr.); of gnats, AP5.150 (Mel.); of the sacred animals in Egypt,ἀρχιστολιστὴς θηρῶν Sammelb.4011.4
.3 any fabulous monster, as the Sphinx, A.Th.558 codd.; esp. of a centaur, S.Tr.556, 568 (cf. φήρ); of Satyrs, E.Cyc.624; οὐ θεῶν τις οὐδ' ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲ θ. A.Eu.70.—Less freq. than θηρίον in Prose, but found in Hdt. l.c. (v.l. θηρίων), X.Cyr.4.6.4, Pl.R.559d, Sph. 235a, Ael. l.c., etc.;ἄγριοι θῆρες Arist.EE1229a25
. (I.-E. ĝh[uglide]ēr-, cf. φήρ, Lith. žvėrìs 'wild beast'.)
Greek-English dictionary (Αγγλικά Ελληνικά-λεξικό). 2014.