Idol

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Idol \I"dol\, n. [OE. idole, F. idole, L. idolum, fr. Gr. ?, fr.
     ? that which is seen, the form, shape, figure, fr. ? to see.
     See {Wit}, and cf. {Eidolon}.]
     1. An image or representation of anything. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  


              Do her adore with sacred reverence,
              As th' idol of her maker's great magnificence.
                                                    --Spenser.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. An image of a divinity; a representation or symbol of a
        deity or any other being or thing, made or used as an
        object of worship; a similitude of a false god.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              That they should not worship devils, and idols of
              gold.                                 --Rev. ix. 20.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. That on which the affections are strongly (often
        excessively) set; an object of passionate devotion; a
        person or thing greatly loved or adored.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The soldier's god and people's idol.  --Denham.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A false notion or conception; a fallacy. --Bacon.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The idols of preconceived opinion.    --Coleridge.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  idol
       n 1: a material effigy that is worshipped as a god; "thou shalt
            not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his
            god" [syn: {graven image}, {god}]
       2: someone who is adored blindly and excessively [syn: {matinee
          idol}]
       3: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept [syn: {paragon},
           {perfection}, {beau ideal}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  101 Moby Thesaurus words for "idol":
     Baal, Juggernaut, big name, celebrity, companion, constellation,
     copy, cosset, cynosure, darling, dea, dead ringer, deity, demigod,
     demigoddess, deus, deva, devi, devil-god, divinity, double,
     duplicate, effigy, exact likeness, false god, favorite, fellow,
     fetish, figure, folk hero, fondling, galaxy, god, goddess,
     golden calf, graven image, great man, heathen god, hero, heroine,
     icon, ikon, image, immortal, important person, jewel, joss,
     likeness, lion, living image, living picture, luminaries, luminary,
     man of mark, master spirit, match, mate, matinee idol, miniature,
     minion, mirroring, model, name, notability, notable, pagan deity,
     person of note, personage, pet, phoenix, photograph, picture,
     pleiad, pop hero, popular hero, popular idol, portrait, preference,
     public figure, reflection, resemblance, rubbing, semblance, shadow,
     similitude, simulacrum, social lion, somebody, spit and image,
     spitting image, spoiled child, star, superstar, symbol,
     the shining ones, trace, tracing, twin, very image, very picture,
     worthy
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  IDOL
       
          Icon-Derived Object Language.  An {object-oriented}
          {preprocessor} for {Icon}.
       
          {(ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/pub/languages/icon/idol.tar.Z)}.
       
          ["Programming in Idol: An Object Primer", C.L. Jeffery, U
          Arizona CS TR #90-10].
       
       

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Idol
     (1.) Heb. aven, "nothingness;" "vanity" (Isa. 66:3; 41:29; Deut.
     32:21; 1 Kings 16:13; Ps. 31:6; Jer. 8:19, etc.).
     
       (2.) 'Elil, "a thing of naught" (Ps. 97:7; Isa. 19:3); a word
     of contempt, used of the gods of Noph (Ezek. 30:13).
     
       (3.) 'Emah, "terror," in allusion to the hideous form of idols
     (Jer. 50:38).
     
       (4.) Miphletzeth, "a fright;" "horror" (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chr.
     15:16).
     
       (5.) Bosheth, "shame;" "shameful thing" (Jer. 11:13; Hos.
     9:10); as characterizing the obscenity of the worship of Baal.
     
       (6.) Gillulim, also a word of contempt, "dung;" "refuse"
     (Ezek. 16:36; 20:8; Deut. 29:17, marg.).
     
       (7.) Shikkuts, "filth;" "impurity" (Ezek. 37:23; Nah. 3:6).
     
       (8.) Semel, "likeness;" "a carved image" (Deut. 4:16).
     
       (9.) Tselem, "a shadow" (Dan. 3:1; 1 Sam. 6:5), as
     distinguished from the "likeness," or the exact counterpart.
     
       (10.) Temunah, "similitude" (Deut. 4:12-19). Here Moses
     forbids the several forms of Gentile idolatry.
     
       (11.) 'Atsab, "a figure;" from the root "to fashion," "to
     labour;" denoting that idols are the result of man's labour
     (Isa. 48:5; Ps. 139:24, "wicked way;" literally, as some
     translate, "way of an idol").
     
       (12.) Tsir, "a form;" "shape" (Isa. 45:16).
     
       (13.) Matztzebah, a "statue" set up (Jer. 43:13); a memorial
     stone like that erected by Jacob (Gen. 28:18; 31:45; 35:14, 20),
     by Joshua (4:9), and by Samuel (1 Sam. 7:12). It is the name
     given to the statues of Baal (2 Kings 3:2; 10:27).
     
       (14.) Hammanim, "sun-images." Hamman is a synonym of Baal, the
     sun-god of the Phoenicians (2 Chr. 34:4, 7; 14:3, 5; Isa. 17:8).
     
       (15.) Maskith, "device" (Lev. 26:1; Num. 33:52). In Lev. 26:1,
     the words "image of stone" (A.V.) denote "a stone or cippus with
     the image of an idol, as Baal, Astarte, etc." In Ezek. 8:12,
     "chambers of imagery" (maskith), are "chambers of which the
     walls are painted with the figures of idols;" comp. ver. 10, 11.
     
       (16.) Pesel, "a graven" or "carved image" (Isa. 44:10-20). It
     denotes also a figure cast in metal (Deut. 7:25; 27:15; Isa.
     40:19; 44:10).
     
       (17.) Massekah, "a molten image" (Deut. 9:12; Judg. 17:3, 4).
     
       (18.) Teraphim, pl., "images," family gods (penates)
     worshipped by Abram's kindred (Josh. 24:14). Put by Michal in
     David's bed (Judg. 17:5; 18:14, 17, 18, 20; 1 Sam. 19:13).
     
       "Nothing can be more instructive and significant than this
     multiplicity and variety of words designating the instruments
     and inventions of idolatry."