Apollo

[ uh-pol-oh ]

/ əˈpɒl oʊ /

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See synonyms for Apollo on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural A·pol·los for 2, 3.

the ancient Greek and Roman god of light, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and manly beauty; the son of Leto and brother of Artemis.

a very handsome young man.

Aerospace. one of a series of U.S. spacecraft designed to carry astronauts to the moon and back.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Words nearby Apollo

apokatastasis, apolipoprotein, apolitical, Apollinaire, Apollinaris, Apollo, Apollo 11, Apollo asteroid, Apollo Belvedere, Apollonian, Apollonius Dyscolus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Apollo in a sentence

During the 1970s, astronauts in NASA’s Apollo missions relied on a very low-tech system to clean lunar dust off their spacesuits.
This high-tech sweeper is designed for super-clingy moon dust|Jack J. Lee|October 13, 2020|Science News For Students
HBO helped honor the theater medium’s contributions to the project by agreeing to donate $1 million to the Apollo theater.
Three Former Howard Students Are Taking ‘Between The World And Me’ From The Bookshelf To HBO|cmurray|October 9, 2020|Essence.com
He had appeared at the Apollo, there was a few picketers outside, even though he sold out.
How James Brown Became a Father Figure to Al Sharpton|Joshua Eferighe|October 8, 2020|Ozy
The Apollo missions were seminal space explorations that defined much of the 20th century.
Space-related coffee table books that are out of this world|PopSci Commerce Team|October 1, 2020|Popular-Science

This was more than a decade on from the last Apollo mission to the moon, and Ehricke was watching NASA and the rest of the US space program retreat from hopes of exploring more distant worlds like Mars and focus instead on Earth’s orbit.
How the Artemis moon mission could help get us to Mars|Neel Patel|September 23, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Can you imagine flying to Venus in an Apollo-era ship based on the same technology, as some NASA people proposed?
To Infinity and Beyond! NASA’s Orion Mission Blasts Off|Matthew R. Francis|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Broyles, who served in Vietnam, later went on to become a Hollywood screenwriter, working on the films Apollo 13 and Cast Away.
War Is Hell and Such Good Fun|Don Gomez|November 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well talking about big movies, you've been cast to play Apollo Creed's grandson in a new Rocky franchise installment.
Michael B. Jordan: Playing a Black Superhero in 'Fantastic Four' Is a 'Huge Responsibility'|Kevin Fallon|September 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As the former CEO of Apollo Group, a large education holding company, Edelstein is helping Rwanda with its higher education.
The American Elite Embraces a New Africa at D.C. Summit|Eleanor Clift|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Supporters of conspiracy peddler Alex Jones are FURIOUS that I dared to note his dismissal of the Apollo 11 mission.
Dear Moon Landing Deniers: Sorry I Called You Moon Landing Deniers|Olivia Nuzzi|July 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Hecuba invites Achilles and Archilochus to meet her in the temple of Apollo.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Socrates, the wisest of men in the eyes of Apollo, admired this exercise and learned dancing in his old age.
Friend Mac Donald|Max O'Rell
It was 'sacred to Apollo; and its branches were the decoration of poets, and of the flamens.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
It is only to transact some higher business that even Apollo dare play the truant from Admetus.
The Pocket R.L.S.|Robert Louis Stevenson
The shrewd, upright county gentleman was beginning to emerge, oddly, from the Apollo.
Marriage la mode|Mrs. Humphry Ward

British Dictionary definitions for Apollo (1 of 4)

apollo¹

/ (əˈpɒləʊ) /

noun plural -los

a strikingly handsome youth

British Dictionary definitions for Apollo (2 of 4)

apollo²

/ (əˈpɒləʊ) /

noun plural -los

a handsome Eurasian mountain butterfly, Parnassius apollo, with palish wings and prominent red ocelli

British Dictionary definitions for Apollo (3 of 4)

Apollo¹

/ (əˈpɒləʊ) /

noun

classical myth the god of light, poetry, music, healing, and prophecy: son of Zeus and Leto

British Dictionary definitions for Apollo (4 of 4)

Apollo²

/ (əˈpɒləʊ) /

noun

any of a series of manned US spacecraft designed to explore the moon and surrounding space. Apollo 11 made the first moon landing in July 1969

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

Cultural definitions for Apollo

Apollo

The Greek and Roman god of poetry, prophecy, medicine, and light. Apollo represents all aspects of civilization and order. He was worshiped at the Delphic oracle, where a priestess gave forth his predictions. Zeus was his father, and Artemis was his sister. He is sometimes identified with Hyperion, the Titan he succeeded.

notes for Apollo

As a representative of controlled and ordered nature, Apollo is often contrasted with Dionysus, the god who represents wild, creative energies.

notes for Apollo

The sun was sometimes described as Apollo's chariot, riding across the sky.