phoenix

¹

[ fee-niks ]

noun

, genitive Phoe·ni·cis [fee-, nahy, -sis, -, nee, -].

1. Sometimes Phoenix. a mythical bird of great beauty fabled to live 500 or 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, to burn itself on a funeral pyre, and to rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and live through another cycle of years: often an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope.
2. genitive Phoenicis [fee-, nahy, -sis, -, nee, -]. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. a southern constellation between Hydrus and Sculptor.
3. a person or thing of peerless beauty or excellence; paragon.
4. a person or thing that has become renewed or restored after suffering calamity or apparent annihilation.

Phoenix

²

[ fee-niks ]

noun

1. Classical Mythology.
   1. the brother of Cadmus and Europa, and eponymous ancestor of the Phoenicians.
   2. a son of Amyntor and Cleobule who became the foster father of Achilles and who fought with the Greek forces in the Trojan War.
2. a city in and the capital of Arizona, in the central part.
3. Military. a 13-foot (4-meter), 989-pound (445-kilogram) U.S. Navy air-to-air missile with radar guidance and a range of over 120 nautical miles.

Phoenix

¹

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a city in central Arizona, capital city of the state, on the Salt River. Pop: 1 388 416 (2003 est)

Phoenix

²

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Grus and Eridanus

phoenix

³

/ ˈfiːnɪks /

noun

1. a legendary Arabian bird said to set fire to itself and rise anew from the ashes every 500 years
2. a person or thing of surpassing beauty or quality

Phoenix

¹

1. Capital city of Arizona .

phoenix

²

1. A mythical bird that periodically burned itself to death and emerged from the ashes as a new phoenix. According to most stories, the rebirth of the phoenix happened every five hundred years. Only one phoenix lived at a time.

Notes

To “rise like a phoenix from the ashes” is to overcome a seemingly insurmountable setback.

Word History and Origins

Origin of phoenix¹

First recorded before 900; from Latin, from Greek phoînix “a mythical bird, purple-red color,” Phoenician, “date palm”; replacing Middle English, Old English fēnix, from Medieval Latin; Latin as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of phoenix¹

Old English fenix, via Latin from Greek phoinix; identical in form with Greek Phoinix Phoenician, purple

Example Sentences

What stuck out to me is that a young woman was experiencing a transformation, going through the fire, and I knew she was on her way to rising into a beautiful phoenix.

From Salon

South London side AFC Wimbledon were formed as a phoenix club and have risen through the divisions in the 22 years since they were founded.

From BBC

The original club was moved to Milton Keynes to form MK Dons in a hugely controversial decision more than 20 years ago that led to fans founding the phoenix club AFC Wimbledon in its place.

From BBC

Finally, I said, “At the monastery, we used to have two phoenix birds.”

From Literature

“I was reborn, rising from the ashes like a phoenix, disquieting my enemies …”

From Seattle Times

Related Words

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