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Hercules

American  
[hur-kyuh-leez] / ˈhɜr kyəˌliz /

noun

genitive

Herculis

  1. Also called Alcides.  Classical Mythology. Also Heracles a celebrated hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, possessing exceptional strength: among his many adventures were the twelve labors for his cousin Eurystheus, performed in order to gain immortality.

  2. Astronomy. a northern constellation, between Lyra and Corona Borealis.

Hercules 1 British  
/ ˈhɜːkjʊˌliːz /

noun

  1. a large constellation in the N hemisphere lying between Lyra and Corona Borealis

  2. a conspicuous crater in the NW quadrant of the moon, about 70 kilometres in diameter

"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
Hercules 2 British  
/ ˈhɜːkjʊˌliːz /

noun

  1. Also called: Alcides.  classical myth a hero noted for his great strength, courage, and for the performance of twelve immense labours

  2. a man of outstanding strength or size

"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
Hercules Scientific  
/ hûr′kyə-lēz′ /

  1. A constellation in the Northern Hemisphere near Lyra and Corona Borealis.

Hercules Cultural  

  1. One of the greatest heroes of classical mythology, he is supposed to have been the strongest man on earth. He was renowned for completing twelve seemingly impossible tasks — the Labors of Hercules. One of these labors was the cleaning of the Augean stables; another was the killing of the nine-headed Hydra. Hercules was a son of Zeus.

Other Word Forms

  • Herculean adjective

Etymology

Origin of Hercules

From Latin Herculēs, Herclēs, Greek; Heracles

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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 crash is the second time a Hercules C-130 has been involved in a deadly accident in as many months.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The crash is the second by a C-130 Hercules aircraft in South America in under a month.

From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026

Countertenor Alexander Chance was careful and effective as the herald Lichas who supplies some narrative glue—he recounts the horror of Hercules burning to death in the poisoned robe.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

The defence ministry later confirmed its C-130 Hercules was involved and that it had been transporting banknotes to the Central Bank of Bolivia.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

Hercules diverted the courses of two rivers and made them flow through the stables in a great flood that washed out the filth in no time at all.

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.