lothario
UK[ləʊˈθɑːriəʊ]US[loʊˈθɑrioʊ]
n
a man who behaves selfishly and irresponsibly in his sexual relationships with women; a seducer or womanizer.
Etymology
the word originates from a character name in literature. lothario is the ruthless seducer in nicholas rowe's 1703 tragedy "the fair penitent," a figure who became an archetype for libertine behavior. the name itself has older literary roots, appearing in miguel de cervantes's "don quixote" (1605) as a minor character, though rowe's portrayal cemented its meaning. the transition from a specific fictional name to a generic noun exemplifies the process of antonomasia, where a proper name evolves into a common word denoting a defining characteristic of its original bearer.
Analysis
this is a proper name adopted into common usage. it is not productively formed from combinable english morphemes.
Examples
he gained a reputation as a lothario, moving from one brief romance to another.
the film portrayed the lead character not as a romantic hero but as a callous lothario.
she was wary of his charming advances, suspecting he was merely a lothario.