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hero

 [heer-oh]   Origin

he·ro

   [heer-oh]
noun, plural he·roes; for 5 also he·ros.
1.
a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2.
a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
3.
the principal male character in a story, play, film, etc.
4.
Classical Mythology.
a.
a being of godlike prowess and beneficence who often came to be honored as a divinity.
b.
(in the Homeric period) a warrior-chieftain of special strength, courage, or ability.
c.
(in later antiquity) an immortal being; demigod.
5.
hero sandwich.
EXPAND
6.
the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich.
COLLAPSE
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Origin:
1605–15; back formation from Middle English heroes (plural) < Latin hērōs (singular), hērōes (plural) < Greek hḗrōs, hḗrōes

Related forms
he·ro·like, adjective
sub·he·ro, noun, plural sub·he·roes.
un·he·ro, noun, plural un·he·roes.
un·he·ro·like, adjective

Synonyms
3. lead, star.

Antonyms
3. villain, heavy.

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Hero is always a great word to know.
So is siren. Does it mean:
a Titan who taught humans various arts, said to have shaped humans out of clay and who stole fire from Olympus for humans in defiance of Zeus
one of several sea nymphs, part woman and part bird, who lure mariners to destruction by their seductive singing
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Dictionary.com Unabridged

He·ro

   [heer-oh]
noun
1.
Classical Mythology. a priestess of Aphrodite who drowned herself after her lover Leander drowned while swimming the Hellespont to visit her.
2.
Also, Heron. (Hero of Alexandria), flourished 1st century a.d., Greek scientist.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Hero
Collins
World English Dictionary
hero (ˈhɪərəʊ)
 
—n , pl -roes
1.  a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude, etc
2.  a man who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field
3.  classical myth a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his exploits
4.  the principal male character in a novel, play, etc
 
[C14: from Latin hērōs, from Greek]

Hero1 (ˈhɪərəʊ)
 
—n
Greek myth a priestess of Aphrodite, who killed herself when her lover Leander drowned while swimming the Hellespont to visit her

Hero or Heron2 (ˈhɪərəʊ)
 
—n
1st century ad, Greek mathematician and inventor
 
Heron or Heron2
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

hero
late 14c., "man of superhuman strength or courage," from L. heros "hero," from Gk. heros "demi-god" (a variant singular of which was heroe), originally "defender, protector," from PIE base *ser- "to watch over, protect" (cf. L. servare "to save, deliver, preserve, protect"). Sense of "chief male character
EXPAND
in a play, story, etc." first recorded 1697. Fem. form heroine first attested 1650s, from L. heroina, from Gk. heroine. First record of hero-worship is from 1774. Heroic verse (1610s), decasyllabic iambic, is from It. Hero, the New York term for a sandwich elsewhere called submarine, grinder, poor boy (New Orleans), or hoagie (Philadelphia), is 1955, origin unknown, perhaps folk etymology of Gk. gyro, a type of sandwich.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
Hero   (hē'rō)  Pronunciation Key 
Greek mathematician who wrote on mechanics and invented many water-driven and steam-driven machines. He also developed a formula for determining the area of a triangle.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

hero (of the underworld) definition


  1. n.
    heroin. : Don says he knows the hero of the underworld well.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source

submarine definition


  1. n.
    and sub; hoagy; torpedo; grinder; poor boy; hero. a long sandwich containing many different foods. (Sometimes many feet long. It is cut into smaller segments for serving a group. Usually contains sliced meats and cheese, as well as tomatoes and onions. Terms vary depending on where you are in the country.) : He ordered a submarine, but he couldn't finish it.
  2. n.
    a large marijuana cigarette. : Look at the size of that sub!
  3. n.
    [menstrual] tampon. : My God! I'm out of submarines!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
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