heroine

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“
The play with Ann as the heroine is all right; but if you're not very careful, by Heaven she'll marry you OCTAVIUS.

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Definitions (8)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A woman noted for courage and daring action.
  2. noun A woman noted for special achievement in a particular field.
  3. noun The principal female character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. See Usage Note at hero.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (2)

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Examples (50)

  • In Mary and Max, the heroine is an eight-year-old Melbourne girl who lives unloved with a disinterested father and a sherry-sodden mother, her only friends a collection of miniature wooden characters from her favourite TV cartoon show, The Noblets. —  The Border Mail
  • Although I did enjoy this story, the heroine was a little too dependent on the hero. —  Epinions Recent Content for Home
  • Now their heroine is the in-your-face governor who once said: "To any critics who say a woman can't think and work and carry a baby at the same time, I'd just like to escort that Neanderthal back to the cave." —  LJWorld.com stories: News
  • If your heroine were a candy bar, what would she be and why? —  Camy's Loft
  • It's the first book in a series where the heroine is an adolescent girl who is given special powers by Gaia (the earth) to save the environment. —  More Hip Than Hippie Podcast
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Latin hērōīnē, hērōīna, from Greek hērōinē, feminine of hērōs, hero; see hero.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Old French heroïne, French héroine = Spanish heroína = Portuguese heroina = Italian eroina, from Latin heroina, a demigoddess, heroine, from Greek ἡρωίνη, a heroine, properly feminine of ἡρώινος, adjective, of a hero, from ἥρως, a hero: see hero.
 

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/ˈhɛrəɪn/
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