Iliad
[il-ee-uh d]
- (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.
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Origin of Iliad
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for iliad
Contemporary Examples
The scientists tracked the words in the "Iliad" the way they would track genes in a genome.
They looked for Swadesh words in the "Iliad" and found 173 of them.
In the Iliad, a Chimera is a grotesque animal jumble, “lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle.”
Waiting for the Barbarians By Daniel Mendelsohn A master classicist takes on subjects from the ‘Iliad’ to ‘Avatar.’
Men have been punching each other in the head since the beginning of time, and you will find references to boxing in The Iliad.
Historical Examples
Their poems may not have such a sweep as the Iliad, still their sweep is great.
I put by my "Iliad," feeling sure that I should be able to finish it again.
The Memoires of Casanova, CompleteJacques Casanova de Seingalt
There is a detailed description of the proceedings in Iliad i. 456 sqq.
History of ReligionAllan Menzies
His life 'is an Iliad of calamities, a chain of misfortunes.
Erasmus and the Age of ReformationJohan Huizinga
The saints of the Christian took the place of the gods of the "Iliad."
Christmas: Its Origin and AssociationsWilliam Francis Dawson
Iliad
- a Greek epic poem describing the siege of Troy, attributed to Homer and probably composed before 700 bc
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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.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper