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Nereus

American  
[neer-ee-uhs, neer-yoos] / ˈnɪər i əs, ˈnɪər jus /

noun

Classical Mythology.
  1. a sea god, the son of Pontus and Gaia and father of the Nereids.


Nereus British  
/ ˈnɪərɪˌuːs /

noun

  1. Greek myth a sea god who lived in the depths of the sea with his wife Doris and their daughters the Nereides

"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 Nereus

First recorded in 1600–20; from Latin Nēreus, from Greek Nēreús; probably of pre-Greek origin


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:

Its name combines a reference to Nereus, the ancient Greek sea god, with the Malgana word marumarumayae, meaning 'ancient home'.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 3, 2026

Clinical trials showed 10% to 18% of Nereus patients vomited, compared to 38% to 44% on placebo, with 12% experiencing sleepiness versus 6% on placebo.

From Barron's ● Dec. 31, 2025

Meanwhile, U.S. efforts to expand its deep-sea research capabilities suffered another setback in 2014, when its new $8 million robotic vehicle Nereus imploded while diving to 10,000 meters.

From Science Magazine ● May 21, 2024

The Huskies beat the ‘91 A.S.R. Nereus “B” crew from the Netherlands in a round-of-32 race.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2023

Pontus, which means the Deep Sea, was a son of Mother Earth and the father of Nereus, a sea-god far more important than he himself was.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

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