Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An American nymphalid butterfly, Victorina steneles, formerly known as V. lavinia. It occurs in Florida and South America.
  • noun A genus of minnows inhabiting the coast streams of California.

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

  • proper noun Roman mythology The daughter of Latinus and wife of Aeneas.
  • proper noun A female given name used since the 17th century. It was fairly popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, but rare today.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin Lavinia, of obscure meaning. Lavinium was a town in ancient Latium.

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Examples

  • "I was looking up famous women in the 19th century on the Internet, and one list had the name Lavinia Warren," Hauser said.

    News - chicagotribune.com 2011

  • When Lavinia is about to be raped, she pleads: 'The lion, moved with pity, did endure/To have his princely paws pared all away' (II. iii.151).

    Ecotopia 1997

  • The note was carefully worded, and as Mrs. Vanross received it and read it she called Lavinia and said very quietly:

    A Charleston Love Story; or, Hortense Vanross 1899

  • There's that other indeed, Miss Lavinia, is as handsome a girl as I'd wish to see.

    Camilla: or, A Picture of Youth 1796

  • As to Lionel, I leave him my blessing; and as to any other legacy I never happened to promise him any; which is very good luck for me, as well as my best excuse; and I may say the same to my dear Lavinia, which is the reason I called her in, because she may not often have an opportunity to hear a man speak upon his death-bed.

    Camilla 2008

  • He then embraced her, called Lavinia, and retired for the night.

    Camilla 2008

  • Gradually James became more attentive, insisting on weekly sojourns to the duck pond at Hyde Park with Lavinia and Aidan, and calling Lavinia to his bed — evidence he had foregone his previous ways and was giving himself solely to her.

    Soul Learner_Tobsha 2006

  • I never happened to promise him any; which is very good luck for me, as well as my best excuse; and I may say the same to my dear Lavinia, which is the reason I called her in, because she may not often have an opportunity to hear a man speak upon his death-bed.

    Camilla: or, A Picture of Youth 1796

  • Le Guin is famous for her science fiction and fantasy novels like Lavinia, which is set in Virgil's Aeneid.

    Bend Blogs 2010

  • Le Guin is famous for her science fiction and fantasy novels like Lavinia, which is set in Virgil's Aeneid.

    Bend Blogs 2010

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