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Actaeon

(archaic, slang) A cuckold.

ækˈtiːənSilenthistorical324 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 26, 2026Global

(archaic, slang) A cuckold.

Heard in the wild
  • “In Greek mythology, Actaeon (; Ancient Greek: Ἀκταίων Aktaiōn) was the son of the priestly herdsman Aristaeus in Boeotia, and a famous Theban hero.”

  • “The Actaeon Island, part of the Actaeon Island Group, is a 15.”

  • “The island is named for the ship Actaeon, which wrecked there in 1822.”

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#2·Apr 26, 2026Global

(Greek mythology) Grandson of Cadmus, transformed into a stag by Artemis in book III of Ovid's Metamorphoses.

Amid so much prosperity, it was one of his grandsons, Actaeon, who first brought distress to Cadmus, when antlers, foreign to his human shape, sprouted from the youth's forehead, and his hounds gorged themselves on their master's blood.
Origin: From , from . In Greek mythology, Artemis transformed Actaeon into a stag with horns on his head. In European folklore, horns were considered the sign of a cuckold, whence the noun sense of Actaeon, "cuckold", and the verb sense "to cuckold", are derived. Compare horned, put horns on, etc. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"Actaeon" means grandson of cadmus, transformed into a stag by artemis in book iii of ovid's metamorphoses. It is one of many casual words teens pick up from friends, social media, music or sport, and on its own it carries no particular warning. If you hear your teen use it, it is fair to ask what they mean by it in their friend group, since meanings drift quickly. Asking out of curiosity rather than alarm tends to keep the conversation open and useful.

For ESL learners

"Actaeon" is informal English meaning grandson of cadmus, transformed into a stag by artemis in book iii of ovid's metamorphoses. It is used widely across English varieties. A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "grandson of cadmus" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to assume "Actaeon" can replace its standard equivalent in every register; keep it for spoken or casual situations and use the formal form in writing. If you are a B2 or C1 learner, it is useful to recognise this word when you hear or read it, but think carefully about whether the situation really calls for it before using it yourself.

Heard in the wild
  • “An element of the earlier myth made Actaeon the familiar hunting companion of Artemis, no stranger.”

  • “The nymphs scream in surprise and attempt to cover Diana, who, in a fit of embarrassed fury, splashes water upon Actaeon.”

  • “[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Actaeon#bodyContent) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Painting by Titian | The Death of Actaeon | | --- | | [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Actaeon.jpg/500px-Actaeon.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Actaeon.jpg) | | Artist | [Titian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titian "Titian") | | Year | c.”

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#3·Apr 26, 2026Global

(obsolete, slang, transitive, rare) To cuckold.

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