colossus means A statue of gigantic size. The name was especially applied to certain famous statues in antiquity, as the Colossus of Nero in Rome and the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It carries an Arena rating of 1770, earned across 56 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, colossus ranks #574 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #721 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #766 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #893 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
colossus is pronounced /kəˈlɒs.əs/.
Why “colossus” is a great word
COLOSSUS — [Noun] A person or thing of immense size, power, or importance, originally referring to a gigantic statue, such as the ancient Colossus of Rhodes. From Latin colossus ("huge statue"), from Ancient Greek κολοσσός (kolossós, "large statue"), of unknown, likely pre-Greek origin. Unlike "giant," which denotes mythic physical bulk, or "titan," which evokes primal, divine strength, a colossus suggests a monumental scale that inspires awe and defines its context, often figuratively. It is the palpable warmth of sun-warmed bronze radiating from a statue so large that ships sail between its legs; the rusting skeleton of a decommissioned crane dominating a harbor skyline; the silent, administrative bulk of a government building designed to humble the individual who enters it—a testament to the ambition that builds things meant to outlast us, and to the enduring presence of an absence.
Etymology
From Latin colossus, from Ancient Greek κολοσσός (kolossós, “large statue, especially the colossus of Rhodes”), from an unknown Pre-Greek etymon (and erroneously associated with κολοφών).
noun
- A statue of gigantic size. The name was especially applied to certain famous statues in antiquity, as the Colossus of Nero in Rome and the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
- Any creature or thing of gigantic size.
- Somebody or something very greatly admired and respected.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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