Python
proper noun
- a spirit which takes possession of a person; a familiar, especially one with powers of prophesy
- a person possessed by and uttering the words of such a spirit
- (Greek mythology) a dragon or serpent that was the tutelary demon of the oracular cult at Delphi until killed and expropriated by Apollo
proper noun
- a scheme operating at the end of the Second World War (1939–45) under which members of the British armed forces were entitled to a period of repatriation after a long term of overseas service; a period of repatriation or home leave taken under this scheme
noun
- common name of several snakes
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpaɪθən/ / /ˈpaɪθɑn/ / /ˈpaɪθɔn/
name
Etymology: From Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn), from Πῡθώ (Pūthṓ), the early name of Delphi, from πύθω (púthō, “to rot, to decay”). The programming language is named after Monty Python.
- The earth-dragon of Delphi, represented as a serpent, killed by Apollo.
“Here Apollo killed a serpent called the Python, and established a great prophetic shrine. Sometimes it is said that the Titaness Themis had the shrine before him, and this, as well as the killing of the Python, suggests that Apollo took over a place already of religious significance, associated with chthonic (i.e., earth) powers.”
“It would seem, therefore, that what we have on the Phasian phiale is the Python coiled round the omphalos.[…]Paintings on Greek pottery and coins have preserved many an example of gods seated on an omphalos, including those of Apollo, Nike, Asclepius and others.⁴¹³ Python on the omphalos must have carried some symbolic meaning.”
- An interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language invented by Guido van Rossum.
noun
Etymology: From Latin pȳthon, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn), the name of the mythological enormous serpent at Delphi slain by Apollo, probably from Πυθώ (Puthṓ), older name of Delphi.
- Any of the family Pythonidae of nonvenomous constrictor snakes.
- A penis.