Hercules

[ hur-kyuh-leez ]

noun,genitive Her·cu·lis [hur-kyuh-lis] /ˈhɜr kyə lɪs/ for 2.
  1. Also Her·a·cles [her-uh-kleez] /ˈhɛr əˌkliz/ .Also called Al·ci·des [al-sahy-deez] /ælˈsaɪ diz/ .Classical Mythology. 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.: Compare labors of Hercules.

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

Origin of Hercules

1
From Latin Herculēs, Herclēs, Greek; see Heracles

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Hercules in a sentence

  • Anxious friends inquired in vain what could have befallen those flaxen-haired young Herculeses.

    Marion Fay | Anthony Trollope
  • In every career of life, in the pursuit of science especially, they enjoy a pleasure in creating Herculeses.

British Dictionary definitions for Hercules (1 of 2)

Hercules1

Heracles or Herakles

/ (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

Derived forms of Hercules

  • Herculean, Heraclean or Heraklean, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Hercules (2 of 2)

Hercules2

/ (ˈhɜːkjʊˌliːz) /


nounLatin genitive Herculeis (ˌhɜːkjʊˈliːɪs)
  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

Scientific definitions for Hercules

Hercules

[ hûrkyə-lēz′ ]


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

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for Hercules

Hercules

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.

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.