Meanings
minos1
- pluralplural of mino
Minos2
- Greekhuman sciencesThe mythological first king of Crete, a son of Zeus by Europa, who imprisoned the Minotaur in a labyrinth and after death was made a judge of the dead in Hades; a putative corresponding historical person.
Whether or not Minos really existed and ruled at Knossos, the ruins on Kephala hill today are known by the name Evans gave them.
2003, Chris Scarre, Rebecca Stefoff, The Palace of Minos at Knossos, Oxford University Press, page 382 more examples
At length we arrived at the gate of Elysium. Here was a prodigious crowd of spirits waiting for admittance, some of whom were admitted, and some were rejected; for all were strictly examined by the porter, whom I soon discovered to be the celebrated judge Minos.
1749, Henry Fielding, “A Journey from this World to the Next”, in Thomas Roscoe, editor, The Works of Henry Fielding: Complete in One Volume, Henry G. Bohn, published 1851, page 602That the Cyclades were subject to Minos, is confirmed by numerous traces; and the general belief of the ancients was, that he founded colonies even in Lemnos and Thrace.
1856, Leonhard Schmitz, Connop Thirlwall, A History of Greece From the Earliest Times to the Destruction of Corinth, 4th edition, Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, page 37
Origin
- Ancient GreekΜῑ́νως
- Ancient GreekΜῑ́νως
- EnglishMinos
Borrowed from Ancient Greek Μῑ́νως (Mī́nōs).
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek Μῑ́νως
- Μῑ́νως (Mī́nōs)mythological king of Crete
Chinese Mandarin 米諾斯 /米诺斯
- 米諾斯 /米诺斯 (Mǐnuòsī)mythological king of Crete
Esperanto Minoo
- Minoomythological king of Crete
Finnish Minos
- Minosmythological king of Crete
Greek Μίνωας
- Μίνωας (Mínoas)mythological king of Crete
Hungarian Minósz
- Minószmythological king of Crete
Italian Minosse
- Minossemythological king of Crete
Latin Mīnōs
- Mīnōsmythological king of Crete
Russian Ми́нос
- Ми́нос (Mínos)mythological king of Crete
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with minos
Anagrams
Cite this entry
minos. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minos
“minos.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minos. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “minos,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/minos.
Source: minos on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.