Iliad

[il-ee-uh d]

noun

(italics) a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy, ascribed to Homer.
(sometimes lowercase) any similar poem; a long narrative.
(often lowercase) a long series of woes, trials, etc.

Origin of Iliad

< Latin Iliad- (stem of Ilias) < Greek, equivalent to Ili(on) Troy + -ad- -ad¹

Related formsIl·i·ad·ic

[il-ee-ad-ik] /ˌɪl iˈæd ɪk/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for iliad

Contemporary Examples of iliad

The scientists tracked the words in the "Iliad" the way they would track genes in a genome.
How Old is the Illiad?
Justin Green
March 1, 2013
They looked for Swadesh words in the "Iliad" and found 173 of them.
How Old is the Illiad?
Justin Green
March 1, 2013
In the Iliad, a Chimera is a grotesque animal jumble, “lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle.”
Delegitimizing Israel Makes Peace Harder to Achieve
Gil Troy
February 28, 2013
Waiting for the Barbarians By Daniel Mendelsohn A master classicist takes on subjects from the ‘Iliad’ to ‘Avatar.’
This Week’s Hot Reads: Oct. 7, 2012
Nicholas Mancusi
October 7, 2012
Men have been punching each other in the head since the beginning of time, and you will find references to boxing in The Iliad.
Olympics Kickoff: Boris Johnson on London’s Sporty Side
Boris Johnson
July 27, 2012

Historical Examples of iliad

Their poems may not have such a sweep as the Iliad, still their sweep is great.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 57, No. 352, February 1845
Various
I put by my "Iliad," feeling sure that I should be able to finish it again.
The Memoires of Casanova, Complete
Jacques Casanova de Seingalt
There is a detailed description of the proceedings in Iliad i. 456 sqq.
History of Religion
Allan Menzies
His life 'is an Iliad of calamities, a chain of misfortunes.
Erasmus and the Age of Reformation
Johan Huizinga
The saints of the Christian took the place of the gods of the "Iliad."
Christmas: Its Origin and Associations
William Francis Dawson

British Dictionary definitions for iliad

Iliad

noun

a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy, attributed to Homer and probably composed before 700 bc

Derived FormsIliadic (ˌɪlɪˈædɪk), 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 iliad

Iliad

from Latin Ilias (genitive Iliadis), from Greek Ilias poiesis "poem of Ilion" (Troy), literally "city of Ilius," the mythical founder.