Cerberus

[ sur-ber-uhs ]

noun,plural Cer·ber·us·es, Cer·ber·i [sur-buh-rahy] /ˈsɜr bəˌraɪ/ for 2.
  1. Also Kerberos [kur-ber-uhs] /ˈkɜr bər əs/ .Classical Mythology. a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance of the infernal regions.

  2. a formidable and often surly keeper or guard.

Other words from Cerberus

  • Cer·be·re·an [ser-beer-ee-uhn], /sərˈbɪər i ən/, Cer·ber·ic, adjective

Words Nearby Cerberus

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How to use Cerberus in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Cerberus

Cerberus

/ (ˈsɜːbərəs) /


noun
  1. Greek myth a dog, usually represented as having three heads, that guarded the entrance to Hades

  2. a sop to Cerberus a bribe or something given to propitiate a potential source of danger or problems

Derived forms of Cerberus

  • Cerberean (səˈbɪərɪən), adjective

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 Cerberus

Cerberus

[ (sur-buh-ruhs) ]


In classical mythology, the three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to Hades.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.