lord of the flies

noun

Beelzebub; Satan

OriginBiblical Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב →
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Meanings

noun
  1. Beelzebub; Satan
  2. idiomaticbiblicala ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
satan

Origin

  1. Biblical Hebrewבַּעַל זְבוּב“fly-lord, Beelzebub”
  2. Englishlord of the flies

Calque of Biblical Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (baʿal zəḇûḇ, “fly-lord, Beelzebub”), which in turn is a mistranslation of the name of the Semitic devil Baal-zevuv.

More words from Biblical Hebrew

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

lord of the flies. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20of%20the%20flies

MLA

“lord of the flies.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20of%20the%20flies. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lord of the flies,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lord%20of%20the%20flies.

Source: lord of the flies on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.