Neoptolemus

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The son of the Greek hero Achilles, who fought in the Trojan War and was later known for his role in taking Troy
2. A figure from Greek myth, the young warrior son of Achilles who joined the assault on Troy and was killed at Delphi
3. In classical legend, Achilles' son who fought at Troy after being brought there from Scyros and later met his death at Delphi

Etymology: Neoptolemus is the name of a figure from Greek myth: the son of Achilles, who fought at Troy and was known for his ferocity. The name is built from two Greek elements, "neos" meaning "new" or "young" and "ptolemos" meaning "war" or "battle," so it means something like "new warrior" or "young in war." That makes a fitting name for the son of the greatest Greek fighter of the Trojan War. English took the name directly from Latin, where it appeared as "Neoptolemus," itself a borrowing of the Ancient Greek "Neoptólemos." It is a proper name, used for the mythological figure and for later people who bore it, rather than a common word with a shifting sense.