Cyrus

An ancient king of Persia, Cyrus the Great.

Proper noun

  1. An ancient king of Persia, Cyrus the Great.
    • Thus ſayeth Cyꝛus the kynge of Perſia: The LORDE God of heauẽ hath geuen me all the kyngdomes in the londe and hath commaunded me to buylde him an houſe at Ieruſalem in Iuda. - 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar),...
    • Furthermore, the superlative formulation of Cyrus’ character (he possesses kallos, philanthrōpia, philomathia and philotimia to an outstanding degree) may be thought to make him a supremely successful leader, but also a...
  2. A male given name from Old Persian.
    • Cyrus] There were two Cyri the greater, meant here, Conqueror of Aſia, Scythia, and all the Eaſt, reigning in the time of Tarquin the proud. […] The other was Cyrus the leſſer, ſonne to Darius, brother to Artaxerxes,...
    • At this passage the Behistun inscription does not enumerate the names of all the nine Achaemenians, but from an inscription Aššurbānapli to be dated to 639 B. C. we know that a certain Kuraš was the king of the country...
    • Contrast Arrian’s statement that the camp belonged to the younger Cyrus (ii, 4.3). It is unlikely that both Cyri camped in the same area (pace Mützell), for when Cyrus marched against Croesus he entered Asia Minor on...
  3. A surname.

Origin

Borrowed from Latin Cȳrus, from Ancient Greek Κῦρος (Kûros), from Old Persian 𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁 (kuruš). As a saints' name it has been identified by folk etymology with Ancient Greek κύριος (kúrios, “lord”).

Forms

Cyruses Cyri

Derived

St Cyrus

Proper noun Entry 2

  1. The Kura river, as it is called in classical sources.
    • In the mountains near Suram is a watering-place called Burjan, to which the Imperial Lieutenant of the Caucasus retires in summer. The river Kur, the ancient Cyrus, takes its rise in that district. - 1868, “Route 20:...

Origin

From Latin Cȳrus, from Ancient Greek Κῦρος (Kûros), perhaps from Urartian 𒆳𒄣𒊑𒀀𒉌 (ᴷᵁᴿqu-ri-a-ni /⁠Quriani⁠/), a land possibly in the upper reaches of the Kura river.

Forms

the Cyrus

Related

Phasis