Meanings
phoebe1
Phoebe2
alternative archaic Phebe · alternative archaic Phœbe
- A female given name from Ancient Greek.
Ms. Gates, who is named after Phoebe from “The Catcher in the Rye,” grew up in Seattle, the youngest of three.
2025 April 24, Vanessa Friedman, “Phoebe Gates, the Daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, Steps Into the Spotlight”, in The New York Times, →ISSN - Greekhuman sciencesAn epithet and synonym for Selene; Phoebe Selene, after her maternal aunt, Phoebe (see above).
- Greekhuman sciencesAn epithet and synonym for Artemis; Phoebe Artemis, after her maternal grandmother, Phoebe (see above).
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
nounsmall dun-colored North American flycatcher
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
phoebe · noun
From early 18th c. Imitative, influenced by the name Phoebe.
Full word history & related roots →Phoebe · proper noun
- Ancient GreekΦοίβη
- LatinPhoebē
- EnglishPhoebe
Borrowed from Latin Phoebē, from Ancient Greek Φοίβη (Phoíbē), feminine form of Φοῖβος (Phoîbos, “bright”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Φοίβη
- Φοίβη (Phoíbē)Titan
Arabic فيبي
- فيبي (fībī)given name
Danish Føbe
- Føbegiven name
French Phœbé, Phébé
- Phœbégiven name
- PhébéTitan
- PhœbéTitan
German Phoebe, Phöbe
- Phoebegiven name
- Phöbegiven name
- PhoibeTitan
- PhoebeTitan
- Phoebemoon of Saturn
Greek Φοίβη, Φοίβη
- Φοίβη (Foívi)given name
- Φοίβη (Foívi)Titan
Irish Phoebe
- Phoebemoon of Saturn
Italian Febe
- Febegiven name
Japanese フィービー, ポイベー
- フィービー (Fībī)given name
- ポイベー (Poibē)Titan
- ポイベ (Poibe)Titan
Korean 포이베
- 포이베 (Poibe)Titan
Latin Phoebē
- PhoebēTitan
Polish Febe, Febe
- Febegiven name
- FebeTitan
- Febemoon of Saturn
Portuguese Febe, Febe
- FebeTitan
- Febemoon of Saturn
Spanish Febe
- Febemoon of Saturn
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with phoebe
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
phoebe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phoebe
“phoebe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phoebe. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “phoebe,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/phoebe.
Source: phoebe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.