Cora

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of small, often deeply colored fruit found in tropical regions
2. a specific style of decorative embroidery characterized by intricate patterns and vibrant threads
3. a term used to refer to a person or character exhibiting radiance and charm

Etymology: Cora became widely known in English through James Fenimore Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans" (1826), which gave the name to one of its heroines. Cooper was not the first to use it in print, though. In 1777 Jean-François Marmontel published "Les Incas", which has a heroine of the same name, and Cooper may have encountered the name there, though that link is uncertain. The name may also trace back to ancient Greece. "Kore" was an epithet of Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, and it is closely related to the ordinary Greek word "kore", meaning "maiden". Whether the name was taken directly from that word or from the goddess's title, its underlying sense is simply "girl" or "young woman".