Ajax

American  

[ey-jaks] / ˈeɪ dʒæks /

Also Aias

noun

1. Also called Great Ajax,.  Also called Telamonian Ajax.  Classical Mythology. a Greek hero in the Trojan War who rescued the body of Achilles and killed himself out of jealousy when Odysseus was awarded the armor of Achilles.

2. Also called Ajax the Lesser.  Classical Mythology. a Locrian king, noted for his fighting during the Trojan War, who was said to have been killed in a shipwreck as punishment for violating a shrine of Athena.

3. (italics) a tragedy (c440 b.c.) by Sophocles.

4. a town in S Ontario, in S Canada.

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Ajax British  

/ ˈeɪdʒæks /

noun

1. the son of Telamon; a Greek hero of the Trojan War who killed himself in vexation when Achilles' armour was given to Odysseus

2. called Ajax the Lesser, a Locrian king, a swift-footed Greek hero of the Trojan War

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Example Sentences

But the longer he thought about it, the more the former Ajax ballboy found himself circling a crazy idea: What if Suriname could reach the World Cup?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

They brought flair, grit, and feet that seemed magnetized to the ball as they starred for clubs such as Ajax and Barcelona, AC Milan and Juventus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Shah Muhammad Reza Pahlavi reluctantly went along with the plan, dubbed Operation Ajax, though he fled town before its Aug. 15, 1953, launch.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

The Ajax vehicles were originally due to enter service in 2017, with 589 vehicles ordered.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

It was decided in full assembly that the heroes who best deserved them were Ajax and Odysseus.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton