aegis
[ ee-jis ]
/ ˈi dʒɪs /
Save This Word!
noun
Classical Mythology. the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon.
protection; support: under the imperial aegis.
sponsorship; auspices: a debate under the aegis of the League of Women Voters.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Sometimes e·gis .
Origin of aegis
First recorded in 1425–1475; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek aigís “shield of Zeus or Athena,” probably from aig- (stem of aíx “goat”) + -is noun suffix, from a type of cloak or shield made of goatskin
Words nearby aegis
Aegean Sea, Aegeus, Aegina, Aegir, aegirite, aegis, Aegisthus, Aegium, Aegospotami, aegrotat, Aegyptopithecus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for aegis
British Dictionary definitions for aegis
aegis
sometimes US egis
/ (ˈiːdʒɪs) /
noun
sponsorship or protection; auspices (esp in the phrase under the aegis of)
Greek myth the shield of Zeus, often represented in art as a goatskin
Word Origin for aegis
C18: from Latin, from Greek aigis shield of Zeus, perhaps related to aig-, stem of aix goat
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