WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

Ananias
    n 1: a habitual liar (after a New Testament character who was
         struck dead for lying)

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Ananias
   a common Jewish name, the same as Hananiah. (1.) One of the
   members of the church at Jerusalem, who conspired with his wife
   Sapphira to deceive the brethren, and who fell down and
   immediately expired after he had uttered the falsehood (Acts
   5:5). By common agreement the members of the early Christian
   community devoted their property to the work of furthering the
   gospel and of assisting the poor and needy. The proceeds of the
   possessions they sold were placed at the disposal of the
   apostles (Acts 4:36, 37). Ananias might have kept his property
   had he so chosen; but he professed agreement with the brethren
   in the common purpose, and had of his own accord devoted it all,
   as he said, to these sacred ends. Yet he retained a part of it
   for his own ends, and thus lied in declaring that he had given
   it all. "The offence of Ananias and Sapphira showed contempt of
   God, vanity and ambition in the offenders, and utter disregard
   of the corruption which they were bringing into the society.
   Such sin, committed in despite of the light which they
   possessed, called for a special mark of divine indignation."

     (2.) A Christian at Damascus (Acts 9:10). He became Paul's
   instructor; but when or by what means he himself became a
   Christian we have no information. He was "a devout man according
   to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt" at
   Damascus (22:12).

     (3.) The high priest before whom Paul was brought in the
   procuratorship of Felix (Acts 23:2, 5, 24). He was so enraged at
   Paul's noble declaration, "I have lived in all good conscience
   before God until this day," that he commanded one of his
   attendants to smite him on the mouth. Smarting under this
   unprovoked insult, Paul quickly replied, "God shall smite thee,
   thou whited wall." Being reminded that Ananias was the high
   priest, to whose office all respect was to be paid, he answered,
   "I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest" (Acts 23:5).
   This expression has occasioned some difficulty, as it is
   scarcely probable that Paul should have been ignorant of so
   public a fact. The expression may mean (a) that Paul had at the
   moment overlooked the honour due to the high priest; or (b), as
   others think, that Paul spoke ironically, as if he had said,
   "The high priest breaking the law! God's high priest a tyrant
   and a lawbreaker! I see a man in white robes, and have heard his
   voice, but surely it cannot, it ought not to be, the voice of
   the high priest." (See Dr. Lindsay on Acts, _in loco_.) (c)
   Others think that from defect of sight Paul could not observe
   that the speaker was the high priest. In all this, however, it
   may be explained, Paul, with all his excellency, comes short of
   the example of his divine Master, who, when he was reviled,
   reviled not again.


Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (late 1800's):

Ananias, or Ananiah, the cloud of the Lord