Ishtar

American

[ish-tahr] / ˈɪʃ tɑr /

noun

the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love and war, identified with the Phoenician Astarte, the Semitic Ashtoreth, and the Sumerian Inanna.

Ishtar British

/ ˈɪʃtɑː /

noun

the principal goddess of the Babylonians and Assyrians; divinity of love, fertility, and war

"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

Etymology

Origin of Ishtar

First recorded in 1800–10; from East Semitic (Akkadian), corresponding to West Semitic (Phoenician) Astarte; cf. Ashtoreth ( def. ), Astarte ( def. ), Aphrodite ( def. )

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.

See Examples For:

Ishtar

She likely originated in the Babylonian kharimati, singing priestesses of bull-riding goddess Ishtar.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2023

The finds include fragments of a large stone monument that depict Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 21, 2023

A farmer found and raised him, and Ishtar loved Sargon and elevated him from a commoner to a great king and conqueror.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

However, the Ishtar Gate, which was built in 575 BC, will be wrapped up and closed to the public until 2037.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2023

"And Ishtar was literally a goddess, so forgive me if I'm not impressed."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023