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mar⋅a⋅thon
[mar-uh-thon, -thuh
n] 
–noun
| 1. | a foot race over a course measuring 26 mi. 385 yd. (42 km 195 m). |
| 2. | any long-distance race. |
| 3. | any contest, event, or the like, of great, or greater than normal, length or duration or requiring exceptional endurance: a dance marathon; a sales marathon. |
Origin:
1895–1900; allusion to Pheidippides' 26-mi. (42-km) run from Marathon to Athens to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 b.c.
1895–1900; allusion to Pheidippides' 26-mi. (42-km) run from Marathon to Athens to carry news of the Greek victory over the Persians in 490 b.c.
Mar⋅a⋅thon
[mar-uh-thon] –noun
| 1. | a plain in SE Greece, in Attica: the Athenians defeated the Persians here 490 b.c. |
| 2. | an ancient village that is near this plain. |
| 3. | Classical Mythology. a son of Epopeus and the father of Corinthus. |
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.
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|
Link To marathon
| mar·a·thon (mār'ə-thŏn') n.
[After Marathon (so called because a messenger ran from there to Athens to announce a victory over the Persians in 490 B.C.)] |
| Mar·a·thon (mār'ə-thŏn') A village and plain of ancient Greece northeast of Athens. It was the site of a major Athenian victory over the Persians in 490 B.C. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
marathon
1896, marathon race, from story of Gk. hero Pheidippides, who ran the 26 miles and 385 yards to Athens from the Plains of Marathon to tell of the allied Greek victory there over Persian army, 490 B.C.E. The original story (Herodotus) is that he ran from Athens to Sparta to seek aid, which arrived too late to participate in the battle. Introduced as an athletic event in the 1896 revival of the Olympic Games, based on a later, less likely story, and quickly extended to mean "any very long event or activity."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Language Translation for : marathon
Spanish:
maratón,
German:
der Marathonlauf; Marathon-…,
Japanese:
マラソン
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