Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun In Arthurian legend, a knight who falls in love with the Irish princess Iseult, who was betrothed to his uncle King Mark of Cornwall.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun A male given name.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun (Middle Ages) the nephew of the king of Cornwall who (according to legend) fell in love with his uncle's bride (Iseult) after they mistakenly drank a love potion that left them eternally in love with each other

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the name of a knight, lover of Iseult in medieval romance, from Celtic Drystan derived from drest meaning "riot" or "tumult".

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Examples

  • In the corner, the name Tristan Ramsey had been signed with a flourish.

    A GIFT OF LOVE Judith McNaught 1995

  • In the corner, the name Tristan Ramsey had been signed with a flourish.

    A GIFT OF LOVE Judith McNaught 1995

  • This is why he makes audiences genuinely empathize with the cuckolded King Mark in "Tristan und Isolde," the most long-winded of all Wagner characters.

    The King of the Lyric Basses Barrymore Laurence Scherer 2010

  • For Wagner to present me, as a listener, with four hours of Tristan is equal parts generosity and cockiness.

    Archive 2008-04-01 Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • For Wagner to present me, as a listener, with four hours of Tristan is equal parts generosity and cockiness.

    My Prerogative Matthew Guerrieri 2008

  • If the narrative happened over a longer period of time, the relationship between Yvaine and Tristan could have been better developed; the growth of Tristan from a boy to a man could have been given more attention; the scope and grandeur and just plain oddness of Fairie could have been shown.

    10 Reasons Why I Hate the Movie Version of Stardust | Living the Liminal 2008

  • Actually, having Ernani play back-to-back with Tristan is fairly appropriate since they both concern notions of honor taken to the extremes.

    Archive 2008-03-01 2008

  • Actually, having Ernani play back-to-back with Tristan is fairly appropriate since they both concern notions of honor taken to the extremes.

    The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain 2008

  • In fact, Tristan is easily one of my favorite operas at this point – as is Parsifal – and I do associate some of this change in my perception with you and your performances.

    Dear Christine, 2006

  • In fact, Tristan is easily one of my favorite operas at this point – as is Parsifal – and I do associate some of this change in my perception with you and your performances.

    Archive 2006-10-01 2006

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