Moirae

9.9

Three Greek goddesses who decide how long people live and what happens to them

noun
/ˈmɔɪriː/

Literature

: Moirae

Artists often depicted the Moirae as three women spinning the thread of fate.

Examples

According to myth, the Moirae determined the length of every person's life.
The ancient Greeks believed that even Zeus was subject to the will of the Moirae.
The Moirae determined the fate of every mortal.
In Greek mythology, the Moirae are often depicted as three sisters.
In Greek mythology, the Moirae, also known as the Fates, determine the life spans of individuals.
The Moirae spin the thread of life for every person, deciding their fate and destiny.
According to legend, the Moirae would measure the length of each person's life with their threads.

Synonyms

Moirai

vsMoirae

Literature

1 9.9

Three goddesses who decide the lives and fates of people and gods

is the same group but given in an alternate name form

Parcae

vsMoirae

Literature

1 9.9

Three Roman goddesses who spin, measure, and cut the thread of people's lives

is the Greek group rather than the Roman equivalent

Surface Forms

Moirae singular

Moiraes plural

Etymology

Moirae comes from the Greek word moira, which means 'a share' or 'a portion', and people pictured them as three women who spin and cut the thread of a person's life. So the Moirae are the Fates because they give each person their 'share' of life and decide how long it will last.