Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • Greek philosopher and founder of the Cynic school who advocated self-control and the pursuit of virtue through simple living. He is said to have once wandered through the streets of Athens with a lantern in daylight, searching for an honest man.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A Greek Cynic philosopher (412?-323 B. C.) who lived much in Athens and was distinguished for contempt of the common aims and conditions of life, and for sharp, caustic sayings.
  • noun (Zoöl.) a species of terrestrial hermit crabs (Cenobita Diogenes), abundant in the West Indies and often destructive to crops.
  • noun the tub which the philosopher Diogenes is said to have carried about with him as his house, in which he lived.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A Greek philosopher (c.412-c.323 BC). The most famous of Cynic philosophers.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun an ancient Greek philosopher and Cynic who rejected social conventions (circa 400-325 BC)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek Διογένης (Diogenēs).

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Examples

  • Someone call Diogenes, I found an honest man by ardee D. on Tuesday, Nov 21, 2006 at 7: 20: 24 AM

    Open Letter to Howard Dean and the DNC 2006

  • He's trying to remember all the terms Diogenes taught him.

    Mother Of Storms Barnes, John, 1957- 1994

  • Artist Robert Lenkiewicz carried out the final wishes of his friend Edwin McKenzie alias Diogenes when he died in 1984, and embalmed him as a "work of art."

    Keep Your Friends Close 2008

  • Artist Robert Lenkiewicz carried out the final wishes of his friend Edwin McKenzie alias Diogenes when he died in 1984, and embalmed him as a "work of art."

    Archive 2008-12-01 2008

  • He recalled Diogenes's curiosity about Constance, during the phone conversation in the vintage Jaguar, and he shivered.

    Dance Of Death Preston, Douglas 2005

  • I recall Diogenes taking his older brother into another room and closing the door.

    Dance Of Death Preston, Douglas 2005

  • After this we drove in silence awhile; that is to say Diogenes ambled along at his own leisurely gait, as if he very well knew that 'time was made for slaves'.

    Peregrine's Progress Jeffery Farnol 1915

  • "Your Diogenes was a blockhead," said Ivan Dmitritch morosely.

    The Horse-Stealers and Other Stories Anton Pavlovich Chekhov 1882

  • His name was simple Smith, generally known as Diogenes Smith, from an eccentric habit which he had of making an easy chair of his hip bath.

    Tom Brown at Oxford Thomas Hughes 1859

  • Oria also seemed very glad to see us, and the little fat child whom Arthur called Diogenes, because he had first seen him seated in a tub, put out his hands to welcome us, in no way alarmed at what must have appeared to him our extraordinary appearance.

    On the Banks of the Amazon William Henry Giles Kingston 1847

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