Hercules
Americannoun
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Also called Alcides. Classical Mythology. Also Heracles a celebrated hero, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, possessing exceptional strength: among his many adventures were the twelve labors for his cousin Eurystheus, performed in order to gain immortality.
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Astronomy. a northern constellation, between Lyra and Corona Borealis.
noun
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Also called: Alcides. classical myth a hero noted for his great strength, courage, and for the performance of twelve immense labours
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a man of outstanding strength or size
noun
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a large constellation in the N hemisphere lying between Lyra and Corona Borealis
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a conspicuous crater in the NW quadrant of the moon, about 70 kilometres in diameter
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Hercules
From Latin Herculēs, Herclēs, Greek; see Heracles
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Example Sentences
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The expedition used the remotely operated vehicle Hercules, which recorded extensive video footage that was later archived for public access and annotated by researchers at UH Mānoa.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
The Hercules bench set, composed of five seats made from the same slab of eucalyptus, $12,000.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
The plane, a Hercules used for transporting troops, came down near the town of Puerto Leguízamo, in Putumayo province.
From BBC ● Mar. 23, 2026
The Hercules is a four-engine turboprop plane built by Lockheed Martin.
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
Still, in June 1633, during Galileo’s trial, his friend Benedetto Castelli wrote to him, remarking that the Catholic Church seemed to want to establish new columns of Hercules bearing the slogan non plus ultra.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Nova V1674 Herculis was one of the fastest ever recorded, rising and fading within days.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 31, 2025
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt will run the 100 meters at the Herculis EBS meeting in Monaco on July 21, two weeks before his final world championships appearance in London, organizers said on Wednesday.
From Reuters ● Jun. 22, 2017
Bernard Lagat, a former Washington State standout, improved his American record in the 5,000 meters when he finished second in the Diamond League Herculis meet in Monaco.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 23, 2011
Famed Nova Herculis of 1934 became one of the twelve brightest stars, but it started from the 14th magnitude.
From Time Magazine Archive
The third class of stars includes those which are of a ruddy hue, such as Betelgeux in the right shoulder of Orion, Antares in Scorpio, and α Herculis.
From The Astronomy of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' by Orchard, Thomas Nathaniel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
