Pyrrhus

noun

Pyr·​rhus ˈpir-əs How to pronounce Pyrrhus (audio)
: a son of Achilles and slayer of Priam at the taking of Troy

Examples of Pyrrhus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Last year, the Amon Carter bought Pyrrhus when a child, brought by Glaucias, king of Illyria, for protection, painted by Benjamin West in 1767. —Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Pyrrhos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Pyrrhus was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near Pyrrhus

pyrrhuloxia

Pyrrhus

pyrro-

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Pyrrhus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Pyrrhus. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Biographical Definition

Pyrrhus

biographical name

Pyr·​rhus ˈpir-əs How to pronounce Pyrrhus (audio)
319–272 b.c. king of Epirus (306–302; 297–272 b.c.)

More from Merriam-Webster on Pyrrhus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Pyrrhus

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
turkey-looking-at-camera
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...