idol

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An image used as an object of worship.
2. n. A false god.
3. n. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.
4. n. Something visible but without substance.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An image, effigy, figure, or likeness of anything.
2. n. An image or similitude of a divinity; a representation or symbol of a deity made, consecrated, or used as an object of worship.
3. n. Hence — A person on whom or a thing on which the affections are strongly set; any object of absorbing devotion other than God himself.
4. n. A phantom or figment of the brain; a false or misleading notion or conception; an erroneous persuasion; a fallacy. See idolon.
5. n. Bacon divided the fallacies or misconceptions that beset mankind into four classes:
6. n. idols of the tribe (idola tribus), fallacies incident to humanity in general;
7. n. idols of the den (idola specus), misapprehensions traceable to the peculiar mental or bodily constitution of the individual;
8. n. idols of the market-place (idola fori), errors due to the influence of mere words or phrases;
9. n. idols of the theatre (idola theatri), errors due to the prevalence of imperfect philosophic systems or misleading methods of demonstration.
10. To worship; make an idol of; idolize.

Wiktionary

1. n. A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
2. n. A cultural icon, or especially popular person.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. An image or representation of anything.
2. n. An image of a divinity; a representation or symbol of a deity or any other being or thing, made or used as an object of worship; a similitude of a false god.
3. n. That on which the affections are strongly (often excessively) set; an object of passionate devotion; a person or thing greatly loved or adored.
4. n. A false notion or conception; a fallacy.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept
2. n. someone who is adored blindly and excessively
3. n. a material effigy that is worshipped