Nessus

American  

[nes-uhs] / ˈnɛs əs /

Or Nessos

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a centaur who, on attempting to seduce Deianira, the wife of Hercules, was shot by Hercules with a poisoned arrow. Before Nessus died, he gave to Deianira the poisoned tunic that ultimately caused Hercules' death.

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Nessus British  

/ ˈnɛsəs /

noun

1. Greek myth a centaur that killed Hercules. A garment dipped in its blood fatally poisoned Hercules, who had been given it by Deianira who thought it was a love charm

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Example Sentences

No one can convince her otherwise, and she decides to win her spouse back with an enchanted robe that the dying centaur Nessus told her was a love charm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Each exists to segment the story into three sections, sending you from the EDZ to the moons Titan and Io and an all-new location, the Nessus, in your quest to rejoin them.

From The Verge • Sep. 5, 2017

Heracles,” a tragic opera about Hercules and the poisoned robe of Nessus, required 300 performers.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2015

The third co-founder, Renaud Deraison, was a creator of technology called Nessus, which helps protect computer networks from hackers and other intrusions.

From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2015

Directly after her marriage, when Hercules was taking her home, they had reached a river where the Centaur Nessus acted as ferryman, carrying travelers over the water.

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