Mithras

American

[mith-ras] / ˈmɪθ ræs /

Also Mithra

noun

Persian Mythology.

the god of light and truth, later of the sun.

Mithras British

/ ˈmɪθrə, ˈmɪθræs /

noun

Persian myth the god of light, identified with the sun, who slew a primordial bull and fertilized the world with its blood

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Mithras

< Latin < Greek Míthrās < Old Persian Mithra

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mithras, the Zoroastrian god of war, the sun, and rebirth became immensely popular among Romans.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

It was built over a fourth-century church that itself sat atop a temple to the Roman god Mithras.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 12, 2016

The wine god’s local cult had installed itself in the 2nd-century Temple of Mithras, less than a mile away, when the soldiers’ god fell out of fashion.

From Washington Post • Jun. 9, 2016

Welsh archaeologist Prof WF Grimes discovered a Roman temple devoted to god of light Mithras.

From BBC • Oct. 4, 2015

Then it occurred to her: maybe the little statue of Mithras wasn’t stuck in the rock.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023