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Olympian

 
Dictionary: O·lym·pi·an   (ō-lĭm'pē-ən) pronunciation

adj.
  1. Greek Mythology. Of or relating to the greater gods and goddesses of the ancient Greek pantheon, whose abode was Mount Olympus.
    1. Majestic in manner.
    2. Superior to mundane affairs.
    3. Surpassing all others in scope and effect: Olympian efforts were mounted to keep the city from going bankrupt.
  2. Of or relating to the Olympic Games.
  3. Of or relating to the region of Olympia in Greece or its inhabitants.
n.
  1. Greek Mythology. One of the 12 major gods and goddesses inhabiting Mount Olympus.
  2. One who is superior to all others: an intellectual Olympian.
  3. A contestant in either the ancient or the modern Olympic Games.
  4. A native or inhabitant of the region of Olympia in Greece.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: Olympian
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Olympian, in Greek religion and mythology, one of the 12 important gods who succeeded the Titans as rulers of the universe. The divine family of the Olympians was headed by Zeus, who ruled the heavens and earth, and his queen, Hera. Zeus' brothers, Poseidon and Hades (also called Pluto), ruled the sea and underworld respectively. The divine children were Ares, Hermes, Apollo, Hephaestus, Athena, Aphrodite, and Artemis. It was said that Zeus' sister Hestia, who was also an Olympian, resigned her place to Dionysus. The Olympians, whose honors and attributes have come down to us almost entirely through Homer and Hesiod, lived in majestic splendor on Mt. Olympus. Similar to human beings in both physical appearance and character traits, the gods feasted on ambrosia and nectar and took special delight in their mortal loves. About the 6th cent. B.C. the Olympian gods began to yield in importance to the mystery cults (see mysteries).


Devil's Dictionary: olympian
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A cynical view of the world by Ambrose Bierce


adj.

Relating to a mountain in Thessaly, once inhabited by gods, now a repository of yellowing newspapers, beer bottles and mutilated sardine cans, attesting the presence of the tourist and his appetite.

    His name the smirking tourist scrawls
    Upon Minerva's temple walls,
    Where thundered once Olympian Zeus,
    And marks his appetite's abuse.
                                                           Averil Joop


WordNet: olympian
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adjective has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: majestic in manner or bearing; superior to mundane matters
  Synonym: majestic

Meaning #2: far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree
  Synonyms: exceeding, exceptional, prodigious, surpassing


Translations: Olympian
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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - olympisk
n. - olympiadedeltager

Nederlands (Dutch)
deelnemer aan de (Griekse) Olympische Spelen, olympisch

Français (French)
adj. - olympien, de l'Olympe
n. - olympien, de l'Olympe

Deutsch (German)
n. - Olympier, olympischer Wettkämpfer
adj. - olympisch

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - Ολύμπιος (θεός)
adj. - ολύμπιος, ολυμπιακός, του Ολύμπου, (μτφ.) ατάραχος, γαλήνιος

Italiano (Italian)
divinità dell'Olimpo, olimpico

Português (Portuguese)
n. - olímpio (m)
adj. - olímpico

Русский (Russian)
олимпиец, олимпийский

Español (Spanish)
adj. - olímpico, de Olimpia, del Olimpo
n. - dios olímpico, participante en los juegos olímpicos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - olympier
adj. - olympisk

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
奥林匹斯山的, 威严的, 似神的, 强大有力的, 奥林匹斯山, 奥运会选手

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 奧林匹斯山的, 威嚴的, 似神的, 強大有力的
n. - 奧林匹斯山, 奧運會選手

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 올림푸스산에 사는, 당당한, 올림픽경기의
n. - 고대올림피아경기선수

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - オリンピック選手, 超然とした人
adj. - オリンピアの

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) مشارك في الألعاب الأولمبيه (صفه) أولمبي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮אלוהי, שמיימי, על-אנושי (קור-רוח), מעולים (נימוסים), של הר אולימפוס (יוון), של אולימפיה הקדומה (יוון)‬
n. - ‮אל ביוון הקדומה, אדם קר-מזג ומתנשא‬


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Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Devil's Dictionary. Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, 1911  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved.  Read more

 

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