Venus

American  

[vee-nuhs] / ˈvi nəs /

noun

plural

Venuses

1. an ancient Italian goddess of gardens and spring, identified by the Romans with Aphrodite as the goddess of love and beauty.

2. an exceptionally beautiful woman.

3. (sometimes lowercase) a statuette of a female figure, usually carved of ivory and typically having exaggerated breasts, belly, or buttocks, often found in Upper Paleolithic cultures from Siberia to France.

4. Astronomy. the planet second in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 7,521 miles (12,104 km), a mean distance from the sun of 67.2 million miles (108.2 million km), a period of revolution of 224.68 days, and no moons. It is the most brilliant planet in the solar system.

5. Chemistry Obsolete. copper.

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Venus ¹ British  

/ ˈviːnəs /

noun

1. Greek counterpart: Aphrodite.  the Roman goddess of love

2. See mons veneris

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Venus ² British  

/ ˈviːnəs /

noun

1. one of the inferior planets and the second nearest to the sun, visible as a bright morning or evening star. Its surface is extremely hot (over 400°C) and is completely shrouded by dense cloud. The atmosphere is principally carbon dioxide. Mean distance from sun: 108 million km; period of revolution around sun: 225 days; period of axial rotation: 244.3 days (retrograde motion); diameter and mass: 96.5 and 81.5 per cent that of earth respectively

2. the alchemical name for copper 1

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Venus Scientific  

/ vē′nəs /

1. The second planet from the Sun, with a diameter about 400 miles less than that of Earth. Venus is a terrestrial or inner planet and at inferior conjunction comes nearer to Earth than any other planet; depending on its phase, it is also the brightest object in the night sky aside from Earth's moon. Because Venus is an inferior planet (located between Earth and the Sun), it is only visible relatively near the horizon in the first few hours before sunrise or after sunset. It has a dense atmosphere consisting primarily of carbon dioxide, which, together with its proximity to the Sun, creates an intense greenhouse effect, making it the hottest planet in the solar system with an average surface temperature of 464°C (867°F). Venus is completely shrouded by a thick layer of clouds made up mainly of droplets of sulfuric acid with other clouds of vaporous and particulate sulfur dioxide below it. Radar mapping of the Venutian surface shows rolling hills, plains, and numerous volcanoes as well as large impact craters and extensive lava flows.

2. See Table at solar system

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Venus ¹ Cultural  

1. The Roman name of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty in classical mythology.

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Venus ² Cultural  

1. In astronomy, the second major planet from the sun, named for the Roman goddess of love. The surface of Venus is very hot and covered with clouds. Spacecraft from the former Soviet Union landed on Venus and survived long enough to send back photographs and measurements. (See solar system; see under “Mythology and Folklore.”)

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Discover More

The second planet from the sun (the Earth is third) is named Venus.

Venus is seen from the Earth as a bright morning or evening star — occasionally bright enough to cast a shadow.

Etymology

Origin of Venus

< Latin Venus, stem Vener- originally a neuter common noun meaning “physical desire, sexual appetite,” hence “qualities exciting desire, seductiveness, charm,” “a goddess personifying sexual attractiveness”; cognate with Sanskrit vanaḥ desire, akin to wish; cf. venerate, venom

Example Sentences

Typically, the event's co-chairs are among the first on the scene, and tennis legend Venus Williams and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman did just that.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

The guest list is especially starry this year, with the event's co-chairs including the musical multihyphenate Beyoncé, actress Nicole Kidman, tennis star Venus Williams, and Global Editorial Director of Vogue Anna Wintour.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

The project would be the first U.S. mission to Venus in more than 30 years, Dreier said, and aims to make a high-resolution mapping of the planet’s surface and observe its atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Venus, for example, has a surface temperature around that level, and every lander sent there has failed in part due to extreme heat.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

This was what Venus found when she came back, and very angry she was to see it.

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

Related Words

• vision