Definitions

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

  • Greek philosopher who founded his influential school of Epicureanism in Athens (c. 306) and a utopian community called “The Garden.”

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

  • proper noun An ancient Greek philosopher, founder of the movement commonly known as Epicureanism.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun Greek philosopher who believed that the world is a random combination of atoms and that pleasure is the highest good (341-270 BC)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin Epicūrus, from Ancient Greek Ἐπίκουρος.

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Examples

  • David Hume (1711-1776) in his summary of what he called Epicurus's "little riddle":

    UUpdates - All updates 2010

  • He undertook to have the "Epicurus" -- a swift vessel, which Cleopatra had given to her friend -- ready for a voyage to the open sea within two hours.

    Cleopatra — Complete Georg Ebers 1867

  • He undertook to have the "Epicurus" -- a swift vessel, which Cleopatra had given to her friend -- ready for a voyage to the open sea within two hours.

    Cleopatra — Volume 03 Georg Ebers 1867

  • He undertook to have the "Epicurus" -- a swift vessel, which Cleopatra had given to her friend -- ready for a voyage to the open sea within two hours.

    Cleopatra — Volume 03 Georg Ebers 1867

  • He undertook to have the "Epicurus" -- a swift vessel, which Cleopatra had given to her friend -- ready for a voyage to the open sea within two hours.

    Cleopatra — Volume 03 Georg Ebers 1867

  • He undertook to have the "Epicurus" -- a swift vessel, which Cleopatra had given to her friend -- ready for a voyage to the open sea within two hours.

    Complete Project Gutenberg Georg Ebers Works Georg Ebers 1867

  • I think this part of his thesis that evolution “Darwinism” is derived from Epicurus, which is unconvincingly argued in his previous book Moral Darwinism.

    Of Wiker and Witt: The silliest thing I've read all week - The Panda's Thumb 2006

  • Philosoph.tom. ii.p. 310, &c.] 150 The birth of Epicurus is fixed to the year 342 before Christ, (Bayle,) Olympiad cix. 3; and he opened his school at Athens, Olmp.cxviii. 3, 306 years before the same aera.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

  • But I wonder at the ignorance and precipitancy of those who call Epicurus an atheist.

    Imaginary Conversations and Poems A Selection Walter Savage Landor 1819

  • But an infinite number of solid and therefore indivisible atoms of finitely many kinds, such as Epicurus 'theory provides, are enough to avoid the possibility of the universe crumbling into nothing.

    Epicurus Konstan, David 2009

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