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colossus

Pronunciation: /kəˈlɒsəs/
Definition of colossus

noun (plural colossi /-sʌɪ/ or colossuses)

  • a statue that is much bigger than life size: two statues known as the Colossi of Memnon
  • a person or thing of enormous size, importance, or ability:the Russian Empire was the colossus of European politics

Phrases

bestride something like a colossus

totally dominate a place or area of activity:he bestrode French cinema like a colossus the Hapsburg empire had bestrode Europe like a colossus

Origin:

late Middle English: via Latin from Greek kolossos (applied by Herodotus to the statues of Egyptian temples)

colossus in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of colossus in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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