hero
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈhɪə.ɹəʊ/
ipa: [ˈhɪə.ɹəʊ~ˈçɪə.ɹəʊ]
ipa: /ˈhɪɹ.oʊ/
ipa: /ˈhiɹ.oʊ/
ipa: /ˈhɛɹ.oʊ/
rhymes: -ɪəɹəʊ
Forms: form: heroes
form: heros
Etymology: From Middle English heroes, from Old French heroes, from Latin hērōs (“hero”), from Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “demi-god, hero”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to watch over, protect”). Related to Latin servo (“protect”). Displaced Middle English heleð, haleð, from Old English hæleþ, hæle.
Senses: examples: text: "I'm no hero," insists freckle-faced 14-year-old Freddie Hanberry. But to many of the young cancer patients, nurses and staff at University Medical Center here, he is as close as you can get. The "hero" talk began when a national magazine featured Hanberry, who has leukemia, in a special section called "100 New American Heroes."
ref: 1986 August 10, “Cancer victim some kind of hero”, in The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA:
text: Every cancer victim is a true hero.
ref: 1993, Susanne Baxandall with Prasuna Reddy, The Courage to Care: The Impact of Cancer on the Family:
text: She is my hero, my heart, my baby till the end of time,” said Gabby's father
ref: 2011 September 12, Eileen Faust, “5-year-old Phoenixville cancer victim loses fight”, in The Mercury:
text: Each flag represents a hero, Andrews said, whether a first responder or victim of 9/11, active, fallen, or retired military, special friend or family member.
ref: 2011 September 12, Jen Armstrong, “Sherrill honors heroes of 9/11”, in Oneida Dispatch:
text: At the time, with the D-Day invasion of Europe going on, their heroism was hardly noticed. Plenty of other heroes were dying elsewhere. Plenty of bigger bits of history were being made.
ref: 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 1948, page 43:
glosses: Somebody who possesses great bravery and carries out extraordinary or noble deeds.
glosses: A role model.
examples: text: However, even this great hero of the story is somewhat of a simpleton (when he lets himself be crucially deceived by Peacock Ravana in Vibhisana's shape), and a weakling (when in spite of all his strength he is almost beaten by his own son, one of the rākṣasas)
ref: 1987, Kamil Zvelebil, Two Tamil Folktales: The Story of King Matan̲akāma, The Story of Peacock Rāvaṇa, →ISBN, page xlii:
text: Satan is wrongly called the hero of Paradise Lost. He is really the villain-hero or the counter-hero
ref: 1992, Karuna Shanker Mishra, The Tragic Hero Through the Ages, page 242:
glosses: The protagonist in a work of fiction.
examples: text: Let's discuss how to play if the hero has KK, and there's an ace on board.
topics: card-games
poker
glosses: The current player, especially a hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: villain (“any opponent player”). Not to be confused with hero call (“a weak call against a supposed bluff”).
glosses: A large sandwich made from meats and cheeses; a hero sandwich.
examples: text: The preparation of the hero food involves any number of specialized techniques food stylists have developed to deal with the demands of photographing food.
ref: 2003, Solomon H. Katz, William Woys Weaver, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture:
text: Protect the hero food. Whether the hero items are on a table in the studio or in the refrigerator, freezer, etc., be sure they are identified as hero items and not for consumption.
ref: 2008, Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee, Brad G. Rogers, Food Styling for Photographers, page 8:
text: The food stylists this day had spent inordinate amounts of time preparing the hero product for a close-up scene.
ref: 2008, David Random, Defying Gravity, page 24:
topics: arts
broadcasting
film
hobbies
lifestyle
media
photography
television
glosses: The product chosen from several candidates to be photographed, as in food advertising, or with props used in a movie.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
web-design
glosses: The eye-catching top portion of a web page, sometimes including a hero image; the portion above the fold.
topics: cooking
food
lifestyle
glosses: The standout component of a dish; the part of a dish that should take center stage on the palate.
Synonyms: word: the brave
word: bully
word: daredevil
word: good guy
word: goodie
word: Hector
word: hero
word: knight in shining armor
word: lion
word: lionheart
word: thunderbolt
word: tiger
word: white hat
word: white knight
word: worthy
word: wye
Hypernyms: word: person
Hyponyms: word: Amazon
word: heroess
word: heroine
word: rescuer
word: savior
word: action hero
word: culture hero
word: cyberhero
word: folk hero
word: have-a-go hero
word: local hero
word: megahero
word: monarchical hero
word: protagonist
word: subhero
word: tragic hero
word: unsung hero
word: warhero
Related terms: word: demigod
word: halfgod
word: brave
word: model