succubus
succubus Lexical Profile
succubus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In folklore and medieval legend, a female demon or supernatural entity believed to descend upon and seduce men in their sleep.
"Medieval treatises on demonology frequently paired the female succubus with its male counterpart, the incubus, to explain vivid nightmares and sleep paralysis."
Word Nuance & Usage
In folklore, a 'succubus' is specifically a female demon that visits men in their sleep, whereas its male counterpart that visits sleeping women is an 'incubus'. Both the Latinate plural 'succubi' and the regularized 'succubuses' are standard in English.
• Rhymes for succubus
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Medieval Latin 'succubus', an alteration of Late Latin 'succuba' ('paramour' or 'strumpet'), from 'succubare' ('to lie under'), formed from 'sub-' ('under') and 'cubare' ('to lie down').