[syn: paragon, idol, perfection, beau ideal]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Idol \I"dol\, n. [OE. idole, F. idole, L. idolum, fr. Gr. ?, fr.
? that which is seen, the form, shape, figure, fr. ? to see.
See Wit, and cf. Eidolon.]
1. An image or representation of anything. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
Do her adore with sacred reverence,
As th' idol of her maker's great magnificence.
--Spenser.
[1913 Webster]
2. An image of a divinity; a representation or symbol of a
deity or any other being or thing, made or used as an
object of worship; a similitude of a false god.
[1913 Webster]
That they should not worship devils, and idols of
gold. --Rev. ix. 20.
[1913 Webster]
3. That on which the affections are strongly (often
excessively) set; an object of passionate devotion; a
person or thing greatly loved or adored.
[1913 Webster]
The soldier's god and people's idol. --Denham.
[1913 Webster]
4. A false notion or conception; a fallacy. --Bacon.
[1913 Webster]
The idols of preconceived opinion. --Coleridge.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
idol
n 1: a material effigy that is worshipped; "thou shalt not make
unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god" [syn:
idol, graven image, god]
2: someone who is adored blindly and excessively [syn: idol,
matinee idol]
3: an ideal instance; a perfect embodiment of a concept [syn:
paragon, idol, perfection, beau ideal]
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (19 January 2023):
IDOL
Icon-Derived Object Language. An object-oriented
preprocessor for Icon.
(ftp://src.doc.ic.ac.uk/pub/languages/icon/idol.tar.Z).
["Programming in Idol: An Object Primer", C.L. Jeffery, U
Arizona CS TR #90-10].