Samson

7 definitions found

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

  Samson \Sam"son\, n.
     An Israelite of Bible record (see --Judges xiii.),
     distinguished for his great strength; hence, a man of
     extraordinary physical strength.
     [1913 Webster]
  


     {Samson post}.
     (a) (Naut.) A strong post resting on the keelson, and
         supporting a beam of the deck; also, a temporary or
         movable pillar carrying a leading block or pulley for
         various purposes. --Brande & C.
     (b) In deep-well boring, the post which supports the walking
         beam of the apparatus.
         [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Samson
       n 1: (Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean
            feats of strength against the Philistines until he was
            betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah
       2: a large and strong and heavyset man; "he was a bull of a
          man"; "a thick-skinned bruiser ready to give as good as he
          got" [syn: {bull}, {bruiser}, {strapper}]

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

  51 Moby Thesaurus words for "Samson":
     Achilles, Antaeus, Atlas, Briareus, Brobdingnagian, Charles Atlas,
     Cyclops, David, Goliath, Hector, Hercules, Polyphemus, Roland,
     Superman, Tarzan, Titan, a man, brave, bulldog, bully, bullyboy,
     chutzpanik, colossus, decorated hero, demigod, demigoddess,
     fighting cock, gallant, gamecock, giant, good soldier, gorilla,
     hero, heroine, lion, man of courage, muscle man, paladin,
     powerhouse, stalwart, strong man, strong-arm man, the brave,
     the mighty, the strong, tiger, tough, tough guy, tower of strength,
     valiant, valiant knight
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Samson
     of the sun, the son of Manoah, born at Zorah. The narrative of
     his life is given in Judg. 13-16. He was a "Nazarite unto God"
     from his birth, the first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture (Judg.
     13:3-5; comp. Num. 6:1-21). The first recorded event of his life
     was his marriage with a Philistine woman of Timnath (Judg.
     14:1-5). Such a marriage was not forbidden by the law of Moses,
     as the Philistines did not form one of the seven doomed
     Canaanite nations (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). It was, however,
     an ill-assorted and unblessed marriage. His wife was soon taken
     from him and given "to his companion" (Judg. 14:20). For this
     Samson took revenge by burning the "standing corn of the
     Philistines" (15:1-8), who, in their turn, in revenge "burnt her
     and her father with fire." Her death he terribly avenged
     (15:7-19). During the twenty years following this he judged
     Israel; but we have no record of his life. Probably these twenty
     years may have been simultaneous with the last twenty years of
     Eli's life. After this we have an account of his exploits at
     Gaza (16:1-3), and of his infatuation for Delilah, and her
     treachery (16:4-20), and then of his melancholy death
     (16:21-31). He perished in the last terrible destruction he
     brought upon his enemies. "So the dead which he slew at his
     death were more [in social and political importance=the elite of
     the people] than they which he slew in his life."
     
       "Straining all his nerves, he bowed:
     
       As with the force of winds and waters pent,
     
       When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
     
       With horrible convulsion to and fro
     
       He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew
     
       The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder
     
       Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,
     
       Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
     
       Their choice nobility and flower."
     
       Milton's Samson Agonistes.
     

From Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's) [hitchcock]:

  Samson, his sun; his service; there the second time
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Samson, AL (city, FIPS 67800)
    Location: 31.11221 N, 86.04660 W
    Population (1990): 2190 (977 housing units)
    Area: 9.4 sq km (land), 0.0 sq km (water)
    Zip code(s): 36477

From U.S. Gazetteer Places (2000) [gaz-place]:

  Samson, AL -- U.S. city in Alabama
     Population (2000):    2071
     Housing Units (2000): 1016
     Land area (2000):     3.620157 sq. miles (9.376162 sq. km)
     Water area (2000):    0.005709 sq. miles (0.014787 sq. km)
     Total area (2000):    3.625866 sq. miles (9.390949 sq. km)
     FIPS code:            67800
     Located within:       Alabama (AL), FIPS 01
     Location:             31.112574 N, 86.047865 W
     ZIP Codes (1990):     36477
     Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
     Headwords:
      Samson, AL
      Samson