ὀλοφώιος

Greek (Liddell-Scott)

ὀλοφώιος: -ον, Ἐπικ. ἐπίθετ., καταστρεπτικός, ὀλέθριος, θανατηφόρος, Ὅμ. μόνον ἐν τῇ Ὀδ. καὶ κατ’ οὐδ. πληθ., ὀλ. δήνεα, ὀλέθρια τεχνάσματα ἢ ἐπινοήματα, Κ. 289· ὀλοφώια εἰδώς, ἔμπειρος ὀλεθρίων τεχνασμάτων, Δ. 460, κτλ.· πάντα δέ τοι ἐρέω ὀλοφώια τοῖο γέροντος Δ. 410 παρὰ μεταγεν. Ἐπικ., λύκων ὀλοφώιον ἔθνος (ἔθνος Lenn.) Θεόκρ. 25. 185· ὀλ. ἰὸς Νικ. Θηρ. 327. (Ἐκ τῆς √ΟΛ, ὄλλυμι· ἡ κατάληξις -φώιος δὲν ἔχει ἑρμηνευθῇ).

English (Autenrieth)

pernicious, baleful; ὀλοφώια εἰδώς=ὀλοόφρων, Od. 4.460. (Od.)

Frisk Etymological English

Grammatical information: adj.
Meaning: meaning uncertain, in Hom. only in plur. n. ὀλοφώϊα, subst. or as adjumct of δήνεα (Od.); hell. in sing. of λύκων ἔρνος (Theoc. 25, 185), of ἰός poison (Nic. Th. 327).
Origin: XX [etym. unknown]
Etymology: Formation like μητρώϊος, ἡρώϊος, λεχώϊος (hell.) a.o., so perh. from a subst. in -ως or -ώ. By the ancients later associated with ὄλλυμι and interpreted as pernicious (H. ὀλοφώϊα ὀλέθρια, οἷον ὀλοποιά, δεινὰ βουλεύ-ματα); in Hom. however as deceitful connected with ἐλεφαίρομαι (Benfey Wurzellex., Schulze Q. 22, Bechtel Lex. a.o.).

Middle Liddell

ὀλο-φώιος, ον,
epic adj. destructive, deadly, pernicious, Od.; ὀλοφώια εἰδώς versed in pernicious arts, Od. [From !ολ, the Root of ὄλλυμι: the term. -φώιος has not been explained.]