Amazone
/ˌæm.əˈzoʊn/noun
A woman who rides a horse, especially in historical usage referring to a female equestrian.
Did you know?Ancient Greek writers claimed Amazons removed one breast to improve archery, but this anatomical story is widely regarded by scholars as a later Greek folk etymology or hostile myth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἀμαζών (Amazṓn)
“The name for the legendary warrior women associated with regions around the Black Sea; its ultimate origin is uncertain.”
1st Century BCE–1st Century CE
Latin
Amazon
“A female warrior of the legendary nation of Amazons.”
Medieval French
Old French
Amazon
“An Amazon warrior woman, preserved from Latin and Greek tradition.”
16th–17th Century
French
amazone
“A woman who rides on horseback; the legendary female warrior’s name broadened into a term for a female equestrian.”
Modern English
English
amazone
“A woman rider or female equestrian, chiefly in historical, literary, or specialized usage.”