argus

See also: Argus

English

Etymology

Special use of Argus, a many-eyed mythological figure.

Noun

argus (plural arguses)

1. A watchful guardian.
2. An alert, observant person. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
3. Either of two species of pheasant of Southeast Asia having large ocellated tails.
4. Any of various nymphalid butterflies, such as those of the genus Junonia, also called pansies.

Derived terms

• argus pheasant
• blue argus (Junonia orithya)
• brown argus (Aricia agestis)
• chocolate argus (Junonia iphita)
• meadow argus (Junonia villida)
• northern brown argus (Aricia artaxerxes)
• Scotch argus (Erebia aethiops)

Translations

watchful guardian

alert, observant person

Finnish: argos Hungarian: árgus (hu) Polish: argus m

pheasant with ocellated tail

nymphalid butterfly

Anagrams

• Guras, Sugar, gaurs, guars, ragus, ragùs, sugar

Latin

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• Argus (alternative case form)

Adjective

argus (feminine arga, neuter argum); first/second-declension adjective

1. of Argos, Argive

Etymology 2

From Argus Panoptes, a many-eyed giant sent by Hera to guard Io.

Noun

argus m (genitive argī); second declension

1. (New Latin) a taxonomic epithet for an organism having many markings that look like eyes

Usage notes

• Used exclusively as a taxonomic epithet and thus normally in the nominative singular; other inflections may be theoretical or rarely found.

Declension

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	argus	argī
genitive	argī	argōrum
dative	argō	argīs
accusative	argum	argōs
ablative	argō	argīs
vocative	arge	argī

References

• "argus", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “argus”, in The Perseus Project (1999), Perseus Encyclopedia‎
• “argus”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “argus”, in William Smith, editor (1848), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London: John Murray