petasus

[pet-uh-suh s]

noun, plural pet·a·sus·es.

a broad-brimmed hat worn by ancient Greek travelers and hunters, often represented in art as a winged hat worn by Hermes or Mercury.

Also pet·a·sos

[pet-uh-suh s, -sos] /ˈpɛt ə səs, -ˌsɒs/.

Origin of petasus

1590–1600; < Latin < Greek pétasos, akin to petannýnai to spread out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for petasus

Historical Examples of petasus

It is the Petasus of Hermes—the mist of morning over the dew.
Ariadne Florentina
John Ruskin
And one of them had a petasus and a golden caduceus, and the other had a trumpet.
The Deipnosophists, or Banquet of the Learned of Athenus
Athenus
Of motion is often born inspiration—Hermes, god of oratory, is represented with petasus and talaria—and I am enjoying motion.
Romantic Spain
John Augustus O'Shea
On his head he wore a petasus of hyacinthine hue, out of which sprang three peacock's feathers.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 158, May 5, 1920
Various
As messenger of the gods he wears the Petasus and Talaria, and bears in his hand the Caduceus or herald's staff.
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
E.M. Berens

British Dictionary definitions for petasus

petasus

petasos (ˈpɛtəsəs, -ˌsɒs)

noun

a broad-brimmed hat worn by the ancient Greeks, such as one with wings on either side as traditionally worn by Mercury

Word Origin for petasus

C16: via Latin from Greek petasos

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