Zeus (zo?os)n. Greek Mythology The principal god of the Greek pantheon, ruler of the heavens, and father of other gods and mortal heroes.[Greek; see dyeu- in Indo-European roots.]Word History: Homer’s Iliad calls him “Zeus who thunders on high” and Milton’s Paradise Lost, “the Thunderer,” so it is surprising to learn that the Indo-European ancestor of Zeus was a god of the bright daytime sky. Zeus is a somewhat unusual noun in Greek, having both a stem Z?n- (as in the philosopher Zeno’s name) and a stem Di- (earlier Diw-). In the Iliad, prayers to Zeus begin with the vocative form Zeu pater, “o father Zeus.” Father Zeus was the head of the Greek pantheon; another ancient Indo-European society, the Romans, called the head of their pantheon I?piter or Iuppiter?Jupiter. The -piter part of his name is just a reduced form of pater, “father,” and I?- corresponds to the Zeu in Greek: I?piter is therefore precisely equivalent to Zeu pater and could be translated “father Jove.” Jove itself is from Latin Iov-, the stem form of I?piter, an older version of which in Latin was Diov-, showing that the word once had a d as in Greek Diw-. An exact parallel to Zeus and Jupiter is found in the Sanskrit god addressed as Dyau? pitar: pitar is “father,” and dyau? means “sky.” We can equate Greek Zeu pater, Latin I?-piter, and Sanskrit dyau? pitar and reconstruct an Indo-European deity, *Dy?us p?ter, who was associated with the sky and addressed as “father.” Comparative philology has revealed that the “sky” word refers specifically to the bright daytime sky, as it is derived from the root meaning “to shine.” This root also shows up in Latin di?s “day,” borrowed into English in words like diurnal. · Closely related to these words is Indo-European *deiwos “god,” which shows up, among other places, in the name of the Old English god T?w in Modern English Tuesday, “Tiw’s day.” *Deiwos is also the source of Latin d?vus “pertaining to the gods,” whence English divine and the Italian operatic diva, and deus, “god,” whence deity.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Zeus (zju?s) n (Classical Myth & Legend) the supreme god of the ancient Greeks, who became ruler of gods and men after he dethroned his father Cronus and defeated the Titans. He was the husband of his sister Hera and father by her and others of many gods, demigods, and mortals. He wielded thunderbolts and ruled the heavens, while his brothers Poseidon and Hades ruled the sea and underworld respectively. Roman counterpart: Jupiter Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014Zeus (zus) n. the god of the heavens and supreme deity of the ancient Greeks: identified by the Romans with Jupiter. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.