Wiktionary - Succubus

Succubus

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For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).

English

Etymology

Alteration in Middle English of Late Latin succuba (strumpet, esp. a mythological fiend in female form who has intercourse with men in their sleep) < succubare (to lie under) < sub- (under) + cubare (to lie down) < Proto-Indo-European base *keu(b)- (to bend, to turn).

Noun

succubus (plural: succubi)

1. A female demon which comes to men, especially monks, in their dreams to seduce them and have sexual intercourse, drawing energy from the men to sustain themselves, often until the point of exhaustion or death.
2. A strumpet, whore or prostitute.

Translations

• Sumerian: lilit - Noun

1. 1. succubus; female vampire

Quotations

• 1977 “When the Sabbath is caught by the first ray of the rising sun, all the witches and the vampires, incubi and succubi, take flight, some transforming themselves into noctules, some into other bats, some into still other species of Chiroptera. — Italo Calvino, The Castle of Crossed Destinies, Part 2, Chapter 5, 1969. Translated from Italian by William Weaver.

See Also

• Wiktionary Article Incubus

External Links

• The original source of this article at Wiktionary.org