eidolon
eidolon — noun
1. In literature and poetry, the spirit of a dead person that appears as a shadowy
In literature and poetry, the spirit of a dead person that appears as a shadowy shape without a real physical body.
A widow sees the eidolon of her husband walking by the river at night.
eidolon of + a deceased person in a narrative setting
Rania felt a chill and glimpsed the eidolon of her grandmother in the empty hall.
The poet described the eidolon as a pale shape vanishing at morning light.
Ancient writers called the eidolon a shadow that could pass through locked doors.
In the play, the hero is haunted by the eidolon of a king he betrayed.
- phantom
More common; can also mean something that seems real but does not exist
- apparition
Suggests a sudden or striking appearance, often with supernatural overtones
- spectre
UK spelling; carries a slightly more ominous or threatening tone
- ghost
Much more common and less formal; the everyday word for a dead person's spirit
文法句型
eidolon + of + person
用法筆記
Almost always found in literary, poetic, or formal writing. Not used in everyday speech. Commonly followed by 'of + a specific person' (e.g., 'the eidolon of her father').
2. A perfect mental image of a person or object that exists chiefly in the mind, no
A perfect mental image of a person or object that exists chiefly in the mind, not in the real world.
In his poems, the woman is not real but an eidolon of perfect grace.
contrast: not real but an eidolon of + abstract quality
Aoi carried the eidolon of the seaside town she had left as a small child.
The young painter chased the eidolon of fame, never knowing how success would feel.
For the philosopher, justice was not a rule but an eidolon that reality copied poorly.
Paloma described the eidolon of a peaceful world where no child had to go hungry.
- reality
The actual imperfect thing versus the perfect image in the mind
- flawed version
The imperfect real-life counterpart of an idealized image
文法句型
eidolon + of + abstract noun
possessive + eidolon
用法筆記
Often appears with a possessive or an adjective before it (e.g., 'her eidolon of justice', 'a perfect eidolon'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 describes an imagined ideal or perfect form, not a ghostly apparition.