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e·phe·bo·phil·i·a

(ə-fēbə-fĭlē-ə, -fēlyə)

1. Sexual attraction of an adult for postpubescent adolescents.

2. Love of a man for a male youth, idealized in certain societies such as ancient Greece.

[Greek ephēbos, ephebe; see EPHEBE + -PHILIA.]

e·phebo·phile′ (-fīl′) n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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