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hero

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The definition of a hero is a man who has made noble and/or brave accomplishments.

(noun)

An example of hero is soldiers and nurses from World War I and II.

See hero in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun pl. heroes

Myth., Legend a man of great strength and courage, favored by the gods and in part descended from them, often regarded as a half-god and worshiped after his death
any person, esp. a man, admired for courage, nobility, or exploits, esp. in war
any person, esp. a man, admired for qualities or achievements and regarded as an ideal or model
the central male character in a novel, play, poem, etc., with whom the reader or audience is supposed to sympathize
the central figure in any important event or period, honored for outstanding qualities
☆ hero sandwich

Origin: L heros < Gr hērōs < IE base *ser-, to watch over, protect > Av haraiti, (he) protects, Lith sárgas, watchman

noun

Gr. Legend a priestess of Aphrodite at Sestos: her lover, Leander, swims the Hellespont from Abydos every night to be with her; when he drowns in a storm, Hero throws herself into the sea

Origin: L < Gr Hērō

Heron

See hero in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. he·roes

In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.
A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.
A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine. See Synonyms at celebrity.
The principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation.
Chiefly New York City See submarine. See Regional Note at submarine.

Origin:

Origin: Earlier heroe

Origin: , back-formation from heroes, heroes

Origin: , from Latin hērōēs

Origin: , pl. of hērōs

Origin: , from Greek; see ser-¹ in Indo-European roots

Usage Note: Many writers now consider hero, long restricted to men in the sense “a person noted for courageous action,” to be a gender-neutral term. It is used to refer to admired women as well as men in respected publications, as in this quotation from The Washington Post: “Already a national hero in her economically troubled South Korea, . . . [Se Ri] Pak is packing galleries at [golf] tournaments stateside.” The word heroine is still useful, however, in referring to the principal female character of a fictional work: Jane Eyre is a well-known literary heroine. Ninety-four percent of Usage Panelists accept this usage.

noun
Greek Mythology

A priestess of Aphrodite beloved by Leander.

Alexandrian scientist who invented many water-driven and steam-driven machines and devised a formula for determining the area of a triangle.

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