Minerva

[mi-nur-vuh]

noun

the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, identified with the Greek goddess Athena.

a woman of great wisdom.

a female given name.

Examples from the Web for minerva

Contemporary Examples of minerva

Northup was born in the New York town of Minerva in 1808, and held numerous jobs upstate, one of which was a violinist.
The ‘12 Years a Slave’ Book Shows Slavery As Even More Appalling Than In the Film
Jimmy So
October 18, 2013
Outside, on the roof, the clock is flanked by more Beaux Arts touches: statues of Hercules, Mercury, and Minerva.
Grand Central Terminal: 100 Years, 100 Facts
Sarah Begley
February 1, 2013
That afternoon, Maria presented her Minerva Awards to five “remarkable women” who have changed lives.
28,000 X Chromosomes Strong
Lynn Sherr
October 24, 2008

Historical Examples of minerva

He was the Ulysses of pirates, the beloved not only of Mercury, but of Minerva.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle
I had to spring into the situation with knowledge, as Minerva did into life, full grown.
A Woman Tenderfoot
Grace Gallatin Seton-Thompson
Agar was to be introduced by Princess Mathilde, to whom she was then sitting as Minerva.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt
You remember that beautiful head of Minerva, which is near my book-shelf, do you not?
Classic Myths
Mary Catherine Judd
That night he slept in the temple of Minerva, the wise goddess.
Classic Myths
Mary Catherine Judd

British Dictionary definitions for minerva

Minerva

noun

the Roman goddess of wisdomGreek counterpart: Athena

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 minerva

Minerva

ancient Roman goddess of arts, crafts, and sciences; wisdom, sense, and reflection (later identified with Greek Athene), late 14c., mynerfe, from Latin Minerva, from Old Latin Menerva, from *menes-wa, from PIE root *men- "mind, understanding, reason" (see mind (n.)). Cf. Sanskrit Manasvini, name of the mother of the Moon, manasvin "full of mind or sense." Related: Minerval.