Hesperides
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A group of nymphs who tend a blissful garden filled with trees that grew golden apples in a far western corner of the world, located in Libya or the Atlas Mountains in North Africa at the edge of the encircling Oceanus; they are said to be the daughters of Hesperus. Greek, plural, plural-only
- 2 (Greek mythology) group of 3 to 7 nymphs who guarded the golden apples that Gaea gave as a wedding gift to Hera wordnet
- 3 The garden of the Hesperides. Greek, plural, plural-only
- 4 A paradisaical land of plenty, especially one in the far West. figuratively, plural, plural-only
"Inclinations no leſs vigorous have of late been obſerved in Europe, but with more ſucceſs; who not being bounded by Herculean Bars, paſt ſo far through (till then) the unmeaſured Atlantick, that they lighted upon a new World, a flouriſhing Heſperides, Regions whoſe Sands were Gold, Earth Plate, and Rivers Silver, a Paradice extended to the Arctick and Antarctick Circles, with ſeveral other Countries and Iſlands that reach almoſt the utmoſt latitude of either Poles, out-ſhining all the Fables of Antiquity, and boldeſt Tales of their Poetick Dreams; […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"With these words he laid the apple in Chloe's lap, and she, when he drew near to her, gave him a kiss; so that Daphnis did not repent of having climbed so high; for the kiss that he received was to his mind worth even more than the golden apples of the Hesperides."
Etymology
From Latin Hesperides, from Ancient Greek Ἑσπερίδες (Hesperídes).
More for "hesperides"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.