Acis

American

[ay-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

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Acis

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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2020

No problem in this respect for the tenor John McVeigh, as Acis; it was a special pleasure to hear this fine artist sing in his native language.

From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2011

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

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

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023