Nero

[ neer-oh ]

noun
  1. (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus) (“Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus”) a.d. 37–68, emperor of Rome 54–68, known for his cruelty and depravity.

  2. a male given name.

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British Dictionary definitions for Nero

Nero

/ (ˈnɪərəʊ) /


noun
  1. full name Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus; original name Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus. 37–68 ad, Roman emperor (54–68). He became notorious for his despotism and cruelty, and was alleged to have started the fire (64) that destroyed a large part of Rome

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

Cultural definitions for Nero

Nero

[ (neer-oh) ]


An ancient Roman emperor, famed for his cruelty. He had his mother and wife killed and kicked his mistress to death while she was pregnant. Nero also persecuted Christians (see also Christian), blaming them for a great fire in Rome. According to tradition, he put the Apostles Peter and Paul to death.

Notes for Nero

A famous legend holds that Nero caused the great fire of Rome himself and played a violin while watching it. To say that someone is “fiddling while Rome burns” is to say that the person is indifferent to catastrophe.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.