pegasus
pegasus Lexical Profile
pegasus Game Scores & Validity
• noun
(Often capitalized) In Greek mythology, a divine, immortal winged stallion, typically depicted as pure white, that sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa and was tamed by the hero Bellerophon; more generally, any mythical winged horse in fantasy literature and art.
"The ancient Greek vase depicted Bellerophon riding Pegasus into battle against the fire-breathing Chimera."
(Capitalized) A prominent constellation in the northern sky named after the mythological winged horse, easily recognized by the large asterism known as the Great Square of Pegasus.
"On clear autumn nights in the northern hemisphere, stargazers can easily locate the constellation Pegasus high overhead."
Any small, bottom-dwelling Indo-Pacific marine fish of the genus Pegasus (family Pegasidae), commonly known as a seamoth, characterized by a flattened body encased in bony plates and large, winglike pectoral fins.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Latin from Ancient Greek Pēgasos, traditionally associated by the poet Hesiod with pēgē ('spring, fountain, or well'), because the winged horse was said to have sprung forth near the sources of Oceanus when Perseus beheaded Medusa.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.