Cerberus
Americannoun
plural
Cerberuses, Cerberi-
Classical Mythology. Also Kerberos a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance of the infernal regions.
-
a formidable and often surly keeper or guard.
noun
-
Greek myth a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance to Hades
-
a bribe or something given to propitiate a potential source of danger or problems
Other Word Forms
- Cerberean adjective
- Cerberic adjective
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.
The Mojave, Calif.-based company is owned by private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026
In 2021 GradImages was bought again and placed under the collegiate souvenir clearinghouse Balfour, with a new majority equity holder, New York–based PE giant Cerberus Capital Management.
From Slate • May 27, 2025
The biggest shareholder was the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management, which owns more than 26% of the shares and has four nominees on the company’s board of directors.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024
“Looking for places where geological activity expels this water, possibly the tectonically active Cerberus Fossae, is an alternative to looking for deep liquids. Planetary protection concerns would need to be addressed.”
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2024
His task was to bring Cerberus, the three-headed dog, up from Hades.
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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
