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- 3 dictionary resultshe⋅ro
[heer-oh] 
–noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -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.
|
| 5. | hero sandwich. |
| 6. | the bread or roll used in making a hero sandwich. |
Origin:
1605–15; back formation from ME heroes (pl.) < L hērōs (sing.), hērōes (pl.) < Gk h
rōs, hrōes
1605–15; back formation from ME heroes (pl.) < L hērōs (sing.), hērōes (pl.) < Gk h
rōs, hrōesRelated forms:
he⋅ro⋅like, adjective
Synonyms:
3. lead, star.
3. lead, star.
Antonyms:
3. villain, heavy.
3. villain, heavy.
hero sandwich
–noun
| a large sandwich, usually consisting of a small loaf of bread or long roll cut in half lengthwise and containing a variety of ingredients, as meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. |
Also called hero.
Origin:
1950–55, Americanism
1950–55, Americanism
Regional variation note:
The terms hero sandwich and hero, once largely associated with the New York City and Northern New Jersey area, are now too widely spread to warrant a specific regional label. This same sandwich is also called a submarine or a sub, esp. in the Northeastern and North Midland U.S., although this use has spread south along the Atlantic coast and as far west as Los Angeles. torpedo, though less common, has also spread to various regions.
The sandwich is called a grinder, chiefly in New England and the Inland North, though this use has spread to the South and West. Spuky is restricted to the Boston area, while wedge is a common synonym in Rhode Island and coastal Connecticut. Hoagy (or hoagie) is used chiefly in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, esp. Philadelphia, though it too has spread to other regions.
Poor boy is chiefly New Orleans use, originally referring to a somewhat different sandwich in which distinct sections of fillings represented the courses of a meal. Cuban sandwich, usually referring to a grilled sandwich with ham, pork, cheese, etc., is chiefly used in Southern Florida as well as the New York City area.
The terms hero sandwich and hero, once largely associated with the New York City and Northern New Jersey area, are now too widely spread to warrant a specific regional label. This same sandwich is also called a submarine or a sub, esp. in the Northeastern and North Midland U.S., although this use has spread south along the Atlantic coast and as far west as Los Angeles. torpedo, though less common, has also spread to various regions.
The sandwich is called a grinder, chiefly in New England and the Inland North, though this use has spread to the South and West. Spuky is restricted to the Boston area, while wedge is a common synonym in Rhode Island and coastal Connecticut. Hoagy (or hoagie) is used chiefly in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, esp. Philadelphia, though it too has spread to other regions.
Poor boy is chiefly New Orleans use, originally referring to a somewhat different sandwich in which distinct sections of fillings represented the courses of a meal. Cuban sandwich, usually referring to a grilled sandwich with ham, pork, cheese, etc., is chiefly used in Southern Florida as well as the New York City area.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
|
Link To heroes
| he·ro (hîr'ō) n. pl. he·roes
[Earlier heroe, back-formation from heroes, heroes, from Latin hērōēs, pl. of hērōs, from Greek; see ser-1 in Indo-European roots.] Usage Note: Many writers now consider hero, long restricted to men in the sense "a person noted for courageous action," to be a gender-neutral term. It is used to refer to admired women as well as men in respected publications, as in this quotation from The Washington Post: "Already a national hero in her economically troubled South Korea, . . . [Se Ri] Pak is packing galleries at [golf] tournaments stateside." The word heroine is still useful, however, in referring to the principal female character of a fictional work: Jane Eyre is a well-known literary heroine. Ninety-four percent of Usage Panelists accept this usage. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
