Brewer's: Pistris, Pistrix, Pristis

or Pristrix. The sea-monster sent to devour Andromeda. In ancient art it is represented with a dragon's head, the neck and head of a beast, fins for the forelegs and the body and tail of a fish. In Christian art the pistris was usually employed to represent the whale which swallowed Jonah. (Aratus: commentaries.) Aratus died A.D. 213.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language