Vishnu

[ vish-noo ]

/ ˈvɪʃ nu /

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noun Hinduism.

(in later Hinduism) “the Preserver,” the second member of the Trimurti, along with Brahma the Creator and Shiva the Destroyer.

(in popular Hinduism) a deity believed to have descended from heaven to earth in several incarnations, or avatars, varying in number from nine to twenty-two, but always including animals. His most important human incarnation is the Krishna of the Bhagavad-Gita.

“the Pervader,” one of a half-dozen solar deities in the Rig-Veda, daily traversing the sky in three strides, morning, afternoon, and night.

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Origin of Vishnu

From the Sanskrit word viṣṇu

OTHER WORDS FROM Vishnu

Vish·nu·ism, noun

Words nearby Vishnu

Viseu, vish, Vishakhapatnam, Vishinsky, Vishnevskaya, Vishnu, visibility, visibility meter, visible, visible balance, visible horizon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Vishnu in a sentence

I noticed that my three main characters, Sarita, Karun and Jaz, formed a trinity just like Vishnu, Shiva, and Devi.
A Mathematically Impossible Novel: Manil Suri Explains “The City of Devi”|Manil Suri|March 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It came out of the sacred river; indeed, it might, perhaps, be the incarnation of the god Vishnu himself.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Brahma was the prince of the angelic army; Vishnu and Siva were His coadjutors.
A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)
Siva and Vishnu became worshipped, as well as Brahma and a host of other gods unknown to the earlier Vedas.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord

When Vishnu saved the enrapturing Soma, the Maruts sat down like birds on their beloved altar.
Sacred Books of the East|Various
She say Vishnu lay curse on us, dead men come out of graves, be wolves, be tigers—menjelma kramat—follow us everywhere!
Cursed|George Allan England

British Dictionary definitions for Vishnu

Vishnu

/ (ˈvɪʃnuː) /

noun

Hinduism the Pervader or Sustainer: originally a solar deity occupying a secondary place in the Hindu pantheon; later one of the three chief gods, the second member of the Trimurti; and, later still, the saviour appearing in many incarnations

Derived forms of Vishnu

Vishnuism, noun

Word Origin for Vishnu

C17: from Sanskrit Viṣṇu, literally: the one who works everywhere

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

Cultural definitions for Vishnu

Vishnu

[ (vish-nooh) ]

A deity of Hinduism, known as the Preserver. According to the Hindus, he has appeared as Krishna and as the Buddha.