Actaeon

alternative archaic Actæon · alternative Acteon

1. Greekhuman sciencesGrandson 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.

   1979, Eric S. Rabkin, Fantastic Worlds: Myths, Tales, and Stories, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 62

plural Actaeons · alternative archaic Actæon · alternative Acteon

1. archaicslangA cuckold.

   If she don't make Actaeon of him before she's done, I'm a bishop.

   1960 [1932], Dame Rose Macaulay, They Were Defeated, Collins, page 75

   2 more examples

   […] but I had the story from some French officers of distinction, who mentioned the name of the injured and prudent husband, and that he was a person of very high rank. That name, however, even if I had not forgotten it, I should not think it fair to repeat, because it would seem to be a matter of some moment to the gentleman though he was an Acteon, not to be thought so.

   1814, Commentaries on the laws of Moses, volume 4, a translation of Johann David Michaelis' German text by Alexander Smith: a footnote on page 127

   He once lost a friend by kindly inquiring after his wife, who had made an Acteon of him, first by the head ornament presented, and secondly by sending him to the dogs in the way of pecuniary circumstances.

   1819, The Hermit in London, published in The Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Lettres, number 126 (published on June 19, and reprinted in the compilation of Gazette issues printed at the end of the year by William Pople)

present singular third person Actaeons · participle present Actaeoning · participle past Actaeoned · past Actaeoned · alternative archaic Actæon · alternative Acteon

1. obsoleterareslangtransitiveTo cuckold.

   There are of opinion that there is in Marriage an ineuitable desteny, not to be auoided which is either to be Acteond [OED actæoned] or not to be […]

   1620, Alexander Niccholes, A Discourse of Marriage and Wiving, London, page 35

   2 more examples

   […] where vaine glorious Ixion Proclaymed, that he was the Minion of Juno, and had Acteoned Jupiter: for which arrogancie, Jupiter threw him to Hell, with this pictured vengeaunce.

   1987 [1582], George Whetstone, edited by Diana Shklanka, An Heptameron of Civill Discourses, Garland Publishing, Inc., page 144

   Zuc. […] was I not a handſome fellow from my foote to my feather, had I not wit, nay, which is more, was I not a Don. and didſt thou Acteon me, did I not make thee a Lady. Herc. And did ſhe not make you a more worſhipfull thing, a Cuckold.

   1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for W[illiam] C[otton], published 1606, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i