erastes

E1R1A1S1T1E1S1
/ɛˈɹæsteɪs/

noun

An adult man who loved or was in a pedagogic relationship with an adolescent boy.

OriginAncient Greek ἐραστής →
Scrabble 7
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Meanings

nounerastes (plural erastai)

plural erastai

  1. Ancient GreeceAn adult man who loved or was in a pedagogic relationship with an adolescent boy.

    In regard to the boys (erōmenos) involved in ancient Greek pederasty, Dover (1978:52) asked: “What does the eromenos get out of submission to his erastēs?”

    2002, Stephen O Murray, Pacific Homosexualities, iUniverse, page 80

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekἐραστής“lover”
  2. Englisherastes

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ἐραστής (erastḗs, “lover”).

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French éraste
  • érasteTranslations
German Erastes
  • ErastesTranslations

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tesseraTeressaeatress
Cite this entry
APA

erastes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erastes

MLA

“erastes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erastes. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “erastes,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/erastes.

Source: erastes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.