idol

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“
So long as their idol is a martyr the army is unfit for good service.

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Definitions (19)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun An image used as an object of worship.
  2. noun A false god.
  3. noun One that is adored, often blindly or excessively.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (11)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

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Examples (50)

  • Their simple language suits them best: Then let them keep it and be blest Let the wise critics build a wall Between the nurse's cherished voice, And the fond ear her words enthral, And say their idol is her choice. —  Jasmin: Barber, Poet, Philanthropist
  • In 1934, the idol was attired in the traditional dress of the local Koli fisher folk, who believed that their two-year prayers for a permanent marketplace was fulfilled because of prayers to Lord Ganesh. —  The Times of India
  • Geoff Ogilvy, dared to predict his idol will be a factor come Sunday. —  FanHouse
  • Unveiling the face of the idol is the main ritual on this day. —  The Daily Star
  • The word "idol" comes from the Greek and means "image", "figure", "representation", but also "ghost", "phantom", "vain appearance". —  Whispers in the Loggia
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, from Old French idole, from Late Latin īdōlum, from Greek eidōlon, phantom, idol, from eidos, form; see weid- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English idole = Dutch idool = G. Danish Swedish idol, from Old French idole, also idele, idle, French idole = Provencal idola = Spanish Portuguese Italian idolo, from Latin idolum, idolon, an image, form, especially an apparition, ghost, Late Latin ecclesiastical an idol, from Greek ειδλον, an image, a phantom, ecclesiastical an idol, from εἰδνέναι, know, middle εἰδεσθαι, be seen, appear: see wit, and cf. idea. Cf. idolon, idolum, eidolon.
  2. from idol, n.
 

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/ˈaɪdəl/
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