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Vocabulary Words Derived from Greek and Roman Mythology

Terms in this set (84)

Adonis (n.)
Origin—from Adonis, handsome youth loved by Aphrodite
Definition—very handsome young man
Aegis (n.)
Origin—from aegis, protective shield of Zeus
Definition—shield or protection; sponsorship
Amazon (n.)
Origin—from the Amazons, mythological race of warrior women
Definition—tall, strong, bold woman
Ambrosial (adj.)
Origin—from ambrosia, the "not mortal" food of the gods
Definition—extremely delicious; excellent
Atlas (n.)
Origin—from Atlas, giant who supported the heavens on
his shoulders
Definition—book of maps
Auroral (adj.)
Origin—from Aurora, Roman goddess of the dawn
Definition—pertaining to or resembling dawn; rosy; radiant
Bacchanalian (adj.)
Origin—from Bacchus, Roman god of wine
Definition—jovial or wild with drunkenness
Cassandra (n.)
Origin—from Cassandra, given the power of prophecy by Apollo
Definition—one who prophesies doom or disaster; pessimist
Chimerical (adj.)
Origin—from the Chimera, fire-breathing monster
with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail
Definition—fantastic; unreal; impossible; absurd
Draconian (adj.)
Origin—from Draco, Athenian lawmaker who had a
harsh code of laws
Definition—cruel; harsh; severe; iron handed
Echolalia (n.)
Origin—from Echo, maiden who loved Narcissus. He rejected her and she pined away until nothing
was left of her but her voice.
Definition—automatic and immediate repetition
Elysian (adj.)
Origin—from Elysium, mythological paradise where after death the blessed (mortals favored by the
gods) dwell
Definition—delightful; blissful; heavenly
Eristic (adj.)
Origin—from Eris, goddess of discord
Definition—prone to controversy; argumentative
Fauna (n.)
Origin—from Faunus, Roman god of animals
Definition—animal life; animals of a particular region or period
Flora (n.)
Origin—from Flora, Roman goddess of flowers
Definition—plant life; plants of a particular region or period
Forum (n.)
Origin—from forum, place of assembly for judicial/public business in an ancient Roman city
Definition—medium or place for open discussion and expression of ideas
Hector (v.)
Origin—from Hector, bravest of the Trojans
Definition—intimidate with threats; bully
Herculean (adj.)
Origin—from Hercules, a hero of superhuman strength
Definition—very difficult; requiring great strength
Hermetic (adj.)
Origin—from Hermes, Zeus' swift messenger; Greek name for Thoth, Egyptian god who was the
inventor of a magic seal to keep a vessel airtight
Definition—airtight; secret; magical; mysterious
Iridescent (adj.)
Origin—from Iris, goddess of the rainbow
Definition—having colors like the rainbow
Jovial (adj.)
Origin—from Jove (Jupiter), king of the Roman gods
Definition—jolly; merry; good-humored
Labyrinthine (adj.)
Origin—from Labyrinth, a fabled maze in Crete
Definition—full of confusing passageways; intricate; complicated
Laconic (adj.)
Origin—from Lakonikos, meaning "Spartan."
Definition—using words sparingly; terse; concise
Lethargic (adj.)
Origin—from Lethe, river in Hades whose water, when drunk caused forgetfulness of the past
Definition—unnaturally drowsy; sluggish; dull
Lucullan (adj.)
Origin—from Lucullus, Roman host who gave lavish banquets
Definition—sumptuous; luxurious
Marathon (n.)
Origin—from Marathon, where Greeks defeated Persian invaders in 490 BC. Pheidippides raced to
Athens with news of the victory.
Definition—1.long-distance foot-race of 26 miles 385 yards
2.an endurance contest
Martial (adj.)
Origin—from Mars, god of war
Definition—warlike; pertaining to war
Mentor (n.)
Origin—from Mentor, to whom Odysseus entrusted the education of his son
Definition—1.wise and trusted advisor 2. tutor; coach
Mercurial (adj.)
Origin—from Mercury, the Roman Hermes
Definition—1. quick; vivacious; active; lively 2.unstable; subject to rapid and unpredictable mood
changes
Myrmidon (n.)
Origin—from the Myrmidons, martial tribe that accompanied Achilles
Definition—obedient and unquestioning follower
Narcissistic (adj.)
Origin—from Narcissus, a young man who fell in love with
his own image, which led to his death
Definition—in love with oneself; egocentric
Nectar (n.)
Origin—from nectar, the "death-overcoming" drink that
made the gods immortal
Definition—something exceptionally delicious to drink
Nemesis (n.)
Origin—from Nemesis, goddess of vengeance
Definition—1. due punishment for evil deeds. 2. one who inflicts such punishment
Odyssey (n.)
Origin—from the Odyssey, epic poem dealing with Odysseus' ten years of wandering after the Trojan
War
Definition—long series of wanderings or travels
Olympian (adj.)
Origin—from Mt. Olympus, the home of the gods in Greece
Definition—1.majestic; godlike 2.having to do with the Olympic games
Paean (n.)
Origin—from paean, hymn in praise of Apollo, god of deliverance
Definition—song or hymn of praise, joy, or triumph
Palladium (n.)
Origin—from Pallas Athena, statue of the goddess which
prevented the fall of Troy until it was stolen from the city
Definition—safeguard; protection
Panic (n.)
Origin—from Pan, rural god whose unexpected shout would
terrify.
Definition—sudden, overpowering terror
Philippic (n.)
Origin—from Philippics, orations by Demosthenes denouncing King Philip of Macedon
Definition—tirade; bitter denunciation
Plutocratic (adj.)
Origin—from Plutus, god of wealth
Definition—having great influence because of one's wealth
Procrustean (adj.)
Origin—from Procrustes, villain who made people fit the length of his bed, either stretching them or
cutting off their legs
Definition—cruel or inflexible in enforcing conformity
Protean (n.)
Origin—from Proteus, sea god who could easily change shape to avoid capture
Definition—variable; readily assuming different shapes or forms
Pyrrhic (adj.)
Origin—from Pyrrhus, who suffered enormous losses in a "victory" over the Romans
Definition—ruinous; gained at too great a cost
Saturnine (adj.)
Origin—from Saturn, who alchemists and astrologers associate with the metal lead
Definition—heavy; dull; gloomy; morose (ant. of mercurial)
Siren (n.)
Origin—from the Sirens, whose sweet singing lured mariners to their destruction on the rocks
Definition—1. dangerous, attractive woman 2. apparatus for sounding loud warnings
Solon (n.)
Origin—from Solon, noted Athenian lawgiver
Definition—legislator; wise lawgiver
Spartan (adj.)
Origin—from Sparta, whose citizens pursued these traits
Definition—marked by simplicity and avoidance of
comfort; marked by self-discipline, bravery and ability to
endure pain
Stentorian (adj.)
Origin—from Stentor, herald whose voice was as loud as fifty voices
Definition—very loud
Stygian (adj.)
Origin—from Styx, river of the lower world leading into Hades
Definition—infernal; especially dark; gloomy
Tantalize (v.)
Origin—from Tantalus, kept hungry and thirsty in Hades
with food and water just beyond his reach
Definition—excite a hope but prevent its fulfillment; tease
Terpsichorean (adj.)
Origin—from Terpsichore, muse of dancing
Definition—pertaining to dancing
Thespian (n.)
Origin—from Thespis, father of Greek drama
Definition—pertaining to drama or acting
Titanic (adj.)
Origin—from the Titans, lawless, powerful giants defeated by Zeus
Definition—of enormous strength, size, or power
Sisyphean (adj.)
Origin—from Sisyphus, sinner condemned to an
eternity of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it
roll back down again
Definition—endlessly laborious; useless; futile
Lycanthrope (n.)
Origin—from Lycaeon, who sacrificed one of his children to Zeus and
was turned into a wolf as punishment
Definition—a werewolf
Calliope (n.)
Origin—from Calliope, the Greek muse of epic poetry
Definition—A musical instrument that produces sound by sending steam or compressed air through
large whistles
Mnemonic (adj.)
Origin—from Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory
Definition—A device, such as a formula or rhyme, used as an aid in remembering
Atlantean (adj.)
Origin—from the Atlas, a Titan who had great strength
Definition—having great strength
Arachnid (n.)
Origin—from Arachne, a great weaver who Athena turned into a spider
Definition—an eight-legged insect-like creature, such as a spider,
scorpion, or tick
Chaos (n.)
Origin—from Chaos (Khaos), the first of the Protogenoi and the god of
the air
Definition—great disorder or confusion
Euthanasia (n.)
Origin—from Thanatos, the Greek daemon personification of Death
Definition—act of causing death painlessly, so as to end suffering
Hypnosis (n.)
Origin—from Hypnos, the Greek personification of sleep
Definition—a trancelike condition in which the subject is in a state of altered consciousness and
responds to the suggestions of the hypnotist
Zeal (n.)
Origin—from Zelos, god of great enthusiasm
Definition—intense enthusiasm; devotion; fervor
Chronology
Origin—from Chronos, Greek primordial god of time
Definition—the arrangement of events in their order of occurrence of time
Halcyon (adj.)
Origin—from Alcyone, daughter of Atlas
Definition—tranquil, happy, idyllic; usually with nostalgic
reference to earlier times
Nocturnal (adj.)
Origin—from Nyx, primordial goddess of the night
Definition—of, relating to, or occurring in the night
Zephyr (n.)
Origin—from Zephyr, the Greek god of the West Wind
Definition—a gentle breeze
Oracle (n.)
Origin—from Oracle, (1)a person through whom a deity is believed to speak (2)a shrine in which a
deity reveals hidden knowledge
Definition—a person of great knowledge or wisdom
Achilles heel (n.)
Origin—from Achilles, ancient Greek hero whose only
vulnerable spot on his body was his heel
Definition—a weak, vulnerable spot
Psychology (n.)
Origin—from Psyche, a maiden made immortal and married
to Cupid
Definition—the science dealing with the mind and mental
and emotional processes
Harpy (n.)
Origin—from Harpy, loathsome, voracious monster with the head and trunk of a woman and the tail,
wings, and talons of a bird
Definition—a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman
Fury (n.)
Origin—from the Furies, three terrible winged goddesses with serpentine hair, who punish doers of
unavenged crimes
Definition—violent anger; rage
Insomnia (n.)
Origin—from Somnus, god of sleep
Definition— the inability to sleep
Cornucopia (n.)
Origin—from the horn that may have been that of a goat which the
infant Zeus drank from
Definition—an abundance; "horn of plenty"
Somnambulism (n.)
Origin—from Somnus, god of sleep
Definition—the act of sleepwalking
Venerate (v.)
Origin—from Venus, Roman goddess of love
Definition—to look upon with feelings of deep respect
Volcano (n.)
Origin—from Vulcan, god of fire
Definition—vent in earth's crust that ejects lava
Muse (n.)
Origin—from Muses, the 9 daughters of Zeus who inspire the creation of literature and the arts
Definition—(1)a source of inspiration (2)a deep meditation
Fortune (n.)
Origin—from Fortuna, goddess of luck
Definition— (1)good luck; success; prosperity (2)wealth
Argus-eyed (adj.)
Origin—from Argus, a giant with 100 eyes
Definition—keenly observant; vigilant
Fate (n.)
Origin—from the Fates, three goddesses that determined the course of human life
Definition—final, inevitable outcome; destiny
Typhoon (n.)
Origin—from Typhon, the most deadly monster of Greek
mythology
Definition—a violent tropical cyclone originating in the West
Pacific
Vestal (adj.)
Origin—from Vesta, goddess of the hearth, home, and family
Definition—chaste; pure; stainless; virtuous
Morphine (n.)
Origin—from Morpheus, the god of dreams
Definition—a highly potent narcotic derived from opium
and used in medicine to relieve pain
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