n.
Pronunciation: ' da-m ə - ˌ kl ē z
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin, from Greek Damokl ē s
Date: 1578
: a courtier of ancient Syracuse held to have been seated at a banquet beneath a sword hung by a single hair
– Dam · o · cle · an \ ˌ da-m ə - ' kl ē - ə n \ adjective