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the ancient Greek goddess of love and beauty, identified by the Romans with Venus.
Contemporary Examples

Cyprus is nicknamed the Isle of Love because it is the mythical birthplace of Aphrodite.
What Bailout? Six Reasons to Love Cyprus Kevin Fallon March 17, 2013

Now, after a cultural tug-of-war and a lengthy trial in Rome, Aphrodite is finally going home to Sicily.
Stolen Aphrodite Returns Barbie Latza Nadeau December 10, 2010

The exact spot where Aphrodite was born of foam is just off the coast of Kythira, and anyone can visit it.
This Week’s Hot Reads: March 16, 2012 Jimmy So March 16, 2012

Aphrodite and the Gods of Love acknowledges her crucial role in the epic Trojan War with The Judgement of Paris.
‘Aphrodite and the Gods of Love’: Museum Exhibit Gets Visitors in the Mood for Valentine’s Day Lizzie Crocker February 11, 2012

Historical Examples

One Aphrodite is Urania or celestial, the other Pandemos or common.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern Edgar Saltus

Among the ancients, the goddess Venus or Aphrodite was the symbol of beauty and love.
The Sexual Question August Forel

In course of time, a distinction arose in the conception of Aphrodite, expressed by the surname applied to her.
Greek Women Mitchell Carroll

There is no representation of Aphrodite coming in a shell from across the sea.
The Evolution of the Dragon G. Elliot Smith

His marriage to Aphrodite typifies “the association of fire with the life-giving forces of nature.”
Nature Mysticism J. Edward Mercer

Aphrodite also was looked upon as a meteoric stone that fell from the moon.
The Evolution of the Dragon G. Elliot Smith

noun
(Greek myth) the goddess of love and beauty, daughter of Zeus Roman counterpart Venus Also called Cytherea
n.

Greek goddess of love and beauty; by the ancients, her name was derived from Greek aphros “foam,” from the story of her birth, but perhaps it is ultimately from Phoenician Ashtaroth (Assyrian Ishtar). In 17c. English, pronounced to rhyme with night, right, etc.
Aphrodite [(af-ruh-deye-tee)]

[Roman name Venus]

The Greek and Roman goddess of love and beauty; the mother of Eros and Aeneas. In what may have been the first beauty contest, Paris awarded her the prize (the apple of discord), choosing her over Hera and Athena as the most beautiful goddess (see Judgment of Paris). She was thought to have been born out of the foam of the sea and is thus often pictured rising from the water, notably in The Birth of Venus, by Botticelli.