Acis

American

[ey-sis] / ˈeɪ sɪs /

noun

Classical Mythology.

the lover of Galatea, killed by Polyphemus out of jealousy.

Acis British

/ ˈeɪsɪs /

noun

Greek myth a Sicilian shepherd and the lover of the nymph Galatea. In jealousy, Polyphemus crushed him with a huge rock, and his blood was turned by Galatea into a river

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Galatea, daughter of the sea god Nereus, loves Acis.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2020

In a seemingly strange turn, Handel wrote the part of Acis for a soprano voice and Galatea for a lower mezzo or alto.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2020

As told in Ovid’s “Metamorphoses,” the story is simple and brief: the shepherd Acis and the sea nymph Galatea are happily in love, but the Cyclops Polyphemus loves Galatea too.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2011

Handel liked the myth of Acis and Galatea so much that he set it to music twice, and did plenty of tinkering with both versions.

From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2011

However, Acis was changed into a river-god, so that story ended well.

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