Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • Thracian gladiator who led a slave revolt in Italy (73–71). He defeated Roman armies in southern Italy, but his forces were crushed at Lucania (71), where Spartacus was killed and many of his troops were crucified.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun a Thracian name, notably borne by a gladiator, who was one of the slave leaders in a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin Spartacus.

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Examples

  • This episode, Spartacus gives an enthusiastic fifteen-year-old fan of gladiators a tour of the ludus, and there were a couple of people on the #Spartacus hashtag who were expecting something terrible to happen to the kid.

    SPARTACUS: episode 10 hradzka 2010

  • Spartacus hallucinates Varro You guys do remember the last dead person #Spartacus hallucinated was his wife, right?

    SPARTACUS: episode 11 hradzka 2010

  • This episode, Spartacus gives an enthusiastic fifteen-year-old fan of gladiators a tour of the ludus, and there were a couple of people on the #Spartacus hashtag who were expecting something terrible to happen to the kid.

    SPARTACUS: episode 10 hradzka 2010

  • Straws in the wind: The name Spartacus is found in a Thracian royal family; the ancient sources say that there were a few nobles among the insurgents, which probably means slaves of noble birth or descent; two contemporary Roman writers admired Spartacus, which would have been easier for them if he were patrician.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • Straws in the wind: The name Spartacus is found in a Thracian royal family; the ancient sources say that there were a few nobles among the insurgents, which probably means slaves of noble birth or descent; two contemporary Roman writers admired Spartacus, which would have been easier for them if he were patrician.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • Straws in the wind: The name Spartacus is found in a Thracian royal family; the ancient sources say that there were a few nobles among the insurgents, which probably means slaves of noble birth or descent; two contemporary Roman writers admired Spartacus, which would have been easier for them if he were patrician.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • Straws in the wind: The name Spartacus is found in a Thracian royal family; the ancient sources say that there were a few nobles among the insurgents, which probably means slaves of noble birth or descent; two contemporary Roman writers admired Spartacus, which would have been easier for them if he were patrician.

    The Spartacus War Barry Strauss 2009

  • Starz is "starting to explore ideas" to recast Andy Whitfield's titular role in Spartacus: Blood and Sand with the cancer-stricken star's blessing, a network rep told TVGuide. com.

    Starz "Starting to Explore" Spartacus Recasting 2010

  • I wonder if the new Spartacus is as gay as the original … I also think someone should try and out gay Top Gun … Perhaps the gayest film of modern times …

    Think Progress » Palin’s talk show debut garners weak reviews, lower-than-expected ratings. 2010

  • For me, Spartacus is the ultimate guilty pleasure.

    "...pour saltwater on the wounds." sovay 2010

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