Myrmidon

Myr·mi·don

[mur-mi-don, -dn]
noun, plural Myr·mi·dons, Myr·mid·o·nes [mur-mid-n-eez] .
1.
Classical Mythology. one of the warlike people of ancient Thessaly who accompanied Achilles to the Trojan War.
2.
( lowercase ) a person who executes without question or scruple a master's commands.

Origin:
Middle English < Latin Myrmidones (plural) < Greek Myrmidónes

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To myrmidon
Collins
World English Dictionary
Myrmidon (ˈmɜːmɪˌdɒn, -dən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n , pl Myrmidons, Myrmidones
1.  Greek myth one of a race of people whom Zeus made from a nest of ants. They settled in Thessaly and were led against Troy by Achilles
2.  (often not capital) a follower or henchman

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
00:10
Myrmidon is always a great word to know.
So is Prometheus. Does it mean:
a mountain nymph who pined away for love of the beautiful youth Narcissus until only her voice remained
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
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

myrmidon
c.1400, from L. Myrmidones (pl.), from Gk. Myrmidones, Thessalian tribe led by Achilles to the Trojan War, fabled to have been ants changed into men, from Gk. myrmex "ant." Transferred sense of "faithful follower" is from 1610.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT