zeus | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

63 entries found.

supreme god of the ancient Greeks and master of the others, 1706, from Greek, from PIE *dewos- "god" (source also of Latin deus "god," Old Persian daiva- "demon, evil god," Old Church Slavonic deivai, Sanskrit deva-), from root *dyeu- "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god." The god-sense is originally "shining," but "whether as originally sun-god or as lightener" is not now clear.

Diomedes

Greek hero in the Trojan War, literally "advised by Zeus," from Dios, genitive of Zeus (see Zeus) + medos "counsel, plan, device, cunning" (see Medea).

zeno-

late 20c. word-forming element used in reference to the planet Jupiter, from Greek zeno-, combining form from Zeus (see Zeus; also compare Zenobia).

Dianthus (n.)

large genus of flowering plants including carnations, 1849, from Modern Latin (Linnaeus), literally "flower of Zeus," from Greek Dios, genitive of Zeus "Zeus" (see Zeus) + anthos "flower" (see anther).

Zenobia

fem. proper name, from Greek Zenobia, literally "the force of Zeus," from Zen, collateral form of Zeus, + bia "strength, force," cognate with Sanskrit jya "force, power" (see Jain).

deicide (n.)

1610s, "the killing of a god;" 1650s, "one who kills a god," from stem of Latin deus "god" (see Zeus) + -cida "slayer," from caedere "to kill, to cut down" (from PIE root *kae-id- "to strike").

Deo vindice

Latin, "(with) God (as our) defender," national motto of the Confederate States of America, from ablative of Deus "God" (see Zeus) + ablative of present participle of vindicare "to liberate; to act as avenger; protect, defend" (see vindication).

deist (n.)

"one who holds to some general doctrines of Christian religion and believes in the existence of a personal God but denies revelation and dogma and church authority," 1620s, from French déiste (1560s), from Latin deus (see Zeus). Related: Deistic (1795); deistically. Also see deism.

Deo volente

1767, Latin, "God willing," that is, "if nothing prevents it, if it is meant to be," a sort of verbal knock on wood, from ablative of Deus "God" (see Zeus) + ablative of volentem, present participle of velle "to wish, will" (see will (v.)). Often abbreviated D.V.

Agnus Dei (n.)

Late Latin, literally "lamb of God." From c. 1400 in English as the name of the part of the Mass beginning with these words, or (later) a musical setting of it. Latin agnus "lamb" is from PIE *agwh-no- "lamb" (see yean). For deus "god," see Zeus. The phrase is used from 1620s in reference to an image of a lamb as emblematic of Christ; usually it is pictured with a nimbus and supporting the banner of the Cross.

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