Cerberus
Americannoun
plural
Cerberuses, Cerberi-
Classical Mythology. Also Kerberos a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance of the infernal regions.
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a formidable and often surly keeper or guard.
noun
-
Greek myth a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance to Hades
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a bribe or something given to propitiate a potential source of danger or problems
Other Word Forms
- Cerberean adjective
- Cerberic adjective
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cerberus bought Stratolaunch in late 2019 after its founder, the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, died in 2018.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
In 2021 GradImages was bought again and placed under the collegiate souvenir clearinghouse Balfour, with a new majority equity holder, New York–based PE giant Cerberus Capital Management.
From Slate • May 27, 2025
Stephen Feinberg, co-CEO of private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management and worth $8 billion, has reportedly been offered the position of deputy defense secretary.
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024
The biggest shareholder was the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which owns more than 26% of the shares and has four nominees on the company’s board of directors.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024
Cerberus, the three-headed dog, guarded the doors, but if she gave him a cake he would be friendly and let her pass.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
