Bacchus

[ bak-uhs ]

noun

, Classical Mythology.

1. the god of wine; Dionysus.

Bacchus

/ ˈbækəs /

noun

1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a god of wine and giver of ecstasy, identified with Dionysus

Bacchus

1. The Greek and Roman god of wine and revelry. He is also known by the Greek name Dionysus .

Notes

In painting, Bacchus is often depicted eating a bunch of grapes and surrounded by satyrs .

A “bacchanalian” party or feast is marked by unrestrained drunkenness. The name recalls a Roman festival called Bacchanalia.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bacchus¹

< Latin < Greek Bákkhos

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bacchus¹

C15: from Latin, from Greek Bakkhos ; related to Latin bāca small round fruit, berry

Example Sentences

There, not far from the magnificent Roman ruins with its towering temple of Bacchus, I met Hussein Nassereldine, 42, whose home had been destroyed in an Israeli strike the night before.

From BBC

She is defiant when she insists on competing in the Bacchus D’Or because she wants to leave a legacy.

From Salon

Grapes have been associated with pleasure since ancient times, a symbol of Bacchus, the god of wine and revelry.

From New York Times

The best known is Bacchus, which taps a nationally known celebrity as king each year.

From Seattle Times

And then it dawned on him: “The Feast of Bacchus,” by the 17th-century Dutch painter Philips Koninck, which depicts the Greek god of wine and revelry in a state of cherubic, half-naked bliss.

From New York Times