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Daedalus

[ded-l-uh s or, esp. British, deed-l-uh s]
noun Classical Mythology.
  1. an Athenian architect who built the labyrinth for Minos and made wings for himself and his son Icarus to escape from Crete.

Origin of Daedalus

< Latin < Greek Daídalos; see daedal
Related formsDae·da·li·an, Dae·da·le·an [dih-dey-lee-uh n, -deyl-yuh n] /dɪˈdeɪ li ən, -ˈdeɪl yən/, Dae·dal·ic [dih-dal-ik] /dɪˈdæl ɪk/, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for daedalus

Historical Examples of daedalus

  • No one had ever heard of a saw before, and Daedalus was angry.

    Classic Myths

    Mary Catherine Judd

  • But Daedalus, instead of being proud of his nephew, was angrier than before.

    Classic Myths

    Mary Catherine Judd

  • On the outer wall of G is Daedalus, making wings for himself and Icarus.

  • Daedalus essayed the empty air with wings not permitted to man.

  • So it was not hard for him to persuade Daedalus to make his home with him and be the chief of his artisans.

    Old Greek Stories

    James Baldwin

British Dictionary definitions for daedalus

Daedalus

noun
  1. Greek myth an Athenian architect and inventor who built the labyrinth for Minos on Crete and fashioned wings for himself and his son Icarus to flee the island
Derived FormsDaedalian or Daedalean (dɪˈdeɪlɪən) or Daedalic (dɪˈdælɪk), 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
Word Origin and History for daedalus

Daedalus

father of Icarus in Greek mythology, builder of the Cretan labyrinth, from Greek Daidalos, literally "the cunning worker," from daidallein "to work artfully."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
daedalus in Culture

Daedalus

[(deed-uh-luhs)]

In classical mythology, an ingenious inventor, designer of the Labyrinth, and one of the few to escape from it. He was the father of Icarus.

Note

Daedalus is a symbol of inventiveness and craftsmanship.
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.