The Homer Reader The Iliad & Odyssey · Greek and English

χαίτη

chaite

loose, flowing hair

Appears 16 times across Homer's epics.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

χαίτη, ἡ, A. loose, flowing hair, ζανθὴν ἀπεκείρατο χαίτην Il. 23.141; τίλλοντό τε χαίτας Od. 10.567, cf. S. Aj. 634 (lyr.): χαίταν ἐλαίᾳ . . στεφανωσάμενον B. 10.28; pl., of a single person, χαίτας πεξαμένη Il. 14.175, cf. 10.15, Pi. N. 1.14, B. 16.105, etc.; χαίτᾰς (Dor. acc.) ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς Tyrt. 1.39 Diehl; used esp. of back hair, acc.to Ruf. Onom. 14. 2. of a horseʼs mane, θαλερὴ δʼ ἐμιαίνετο χαίτη Il. 17.439, cf. 19.405; ἀμφὶ δὲ χαῖται ὤμοις ἀΐσσονται 6.509, cf. X. Eq. 5.5, 7.1, Plu. Pel. 22. 3. after Hom., of a lionʼs mane, E. Ph. 1121; ὅσα χαίτην ἔχει, ὥσπερ λέων, opp. ὅσα λοφιὰν ἔχει, ὥσπερ ἵππος, Arist. HA 498b28, cf. PA 658a31: but metaph., φρίξας λοφιᾶς λασιαύχενα χαίταν, of Aeschylus, Ar. Ra. 822 (hex.). b. ὀξυβελεῖς χ., of a hedgehogʼs spines, Emp. 83.2. 4. crest of a helmet, Plu. Alex. 16. 5. metaph. of trees, foliage, Call. Del. 81: pl., Theoc. 6.16, Anacreont. 17/18.12; also βύβλος . . ἐπʼ ἄκρῳ χαίτην ἔχουσα Str. 17.1.15. (Ambraciot word acc. to AB 1095: not in Prose of human hair; cf. Avest. gaēsa- ‘curly hair’.)
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