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colossus

noun
Saykuh-LOS-uhsUS/kəˈlɑ.səs/UK/kəˈlɒs.əs/

Pluralcolossi, colossuses

3 meanings of colossus

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    Any living thing or object that is extremely big.

    The new cruise ship is a colossus, taller than most buildings in the city.

    The kids stared up at the dinosaur skeleton, a colossus that filled the whole hall.

    Similargiant, behemoth, titan

    Note
  2. 2
    nouncountable
    A huge statue, like the famous giant statues of ancient Rhodes and Rome.

    The town put up a colossus of its founder on the hill above the river.

    Tourists line up to take pictures of the stone colossi at the temple gate.

    Note
  3. 3
    nounfigurativelycountable
    A person or thing that people admire and respect very much.

    The great painter was a colossus of modern art.

    To young chess players, the old champion was a colossus they could only admire.

    Similargiant, titan, great

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From Latin colossus, from a Greek word for a very large statue.