First recorded in 1890–95; from Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew shibhʿāh “seven”
From Sanskrit: literally, “the auspicious”
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The name Vasuki indicus honors the mythical serpent associated with the Hindu deity Shiva, as well as the country where the fossil was found.
From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026
"We used to have a very slender Ram, a very slender Shiva, drawn lovingly by artists who drew by hand," said Puri, 68, who has been with ACK for 34 years.
From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026
In a statement read to the public inquiry another of her daughters, Shiva Aghlani, recalled how her mother and aunt would sit in their flat and look at the "amazing" view of the London skyline.
From BBC • Sep. 4, 2024
We grow up to discover there are names in every culture for that — yin and yang, the Apollonian and Dionysian, Vishnu and Shiva, thesis and antithesis, the law of contraries, the dialectic.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2024
“Legend says that lighting the Lamp of Bharata awakens the Sleeper, a demon who will summon Lord Shiva, the fearsome Lord of Destruction, who will dance upon the world and bring an end to Time.”
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
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.
