Samson

American  

[sam-suhn] / ˈsæm sən /

noun

1. a judge of Israel famous for his great strength. Judges 13–16.

2. any man of extraordinary physical strength.

3. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “like the sun.”

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Samson British  

/ ˈsæmsən /

noun

1. a judge of Israel, who performed herculean feats of strength against the Philistine oppressors until he was betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah (Judges 13–16)

2. any man of outstanding physical strength

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Samson Cultural  

1. In the Old Testament, an Israelite servant of God who pitted his invincible strength and his wits against the Philistines on many occasions. He was eventually betrayed by his lover, the beautiful Delilah, who tricked Samson into telling her that the secret of his strength lay in his uncut hair. Delilah cut Samson's hair while he slept, and then called for the Philistines, who captured and blinded him. During his captivity, Samson's hair grew back, and he eventually pulled the Philistines' banquet hall down on their heads.

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Other Word Forms

• Samsonian adjective

Example Sentences

Evan Samson, general manager of Dumfries House, said the new venue would be versatile and able to host a broad range of events.

From BBC

Turns out he’s a modern-day Samson: his lack of hair was the reason he was such a soulless ghoul.

From Los Angeles Times

Samson’s self-sacrifice in defeating his Philistine enemies was used by Samuel Adams and others to illustrate the “zeal” of the Sons of Liberty.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s easy to underestimate the complexity” involved in integrating autonomous technology into vehicles, said Ophir Samson, a former Aurora executive who worked closely with Anderson and later spent a year at GM.

From The Wall Street Journal

Three brothers are pro wrestlers and don’t be surprised if Samson one day becomes the latest Samoan family member to start throwing people down.

From Los Angeles Times