Faust

[ foust ]
/ faʊst /

noun

Jo·hann [yoh-hahn] /ˈyoʊ hɑn/,c1480–c1538, German magician, alchemist, and astrologer.
the chief character of a medieval legend, represented as selling his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.
(italics) a tragedy by Goethe (Part 1, 1808; Part 2, 1832).
(italics) an opera (1859) by Charles Gounod.

Example sentences from the Web for faust

British Dictionary definitions for faust

Faust

Faustus (ˈfaʊstəs)

/ (faʊst) /

noun

German legend a magician and alchemist who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power

Cultural definitions for faust

Faust
[ (fowst) ]

A legendary sixteenth-century magician and practitioner of alchemy, who sold his soul to the devil in exchange for youth, knowledge, and power. Christopher Marlowe, a sixteenth-century English poet, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote famous plays about him.

notes for Faust

A “Faustian” bargain is one in which a person is willing to make extreme sacrifices for power or knowledge without considering the ultimate cost.