Achillean


the greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan War and hero of Homer’s Iliad. He killed Hector and was killed when Paris wounded him in the heel, his one vulnerable spot, with an arrow.
Historical Examples

I had inferred from his books, or magnified from some anecdotes, an impression of achillean wrath,—an untamable petulance.
Stories of Authors, British and American Edwin Watts Chubb

They shall have an achillean roar; and they shall sing by second nature.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta, Complete George Meredith

A photograph was produced of the earlier, more achillean Kitchener, by way of settling that point.
The Bonadventure Edmund Blunden

A copy of Blair’s speech had been shown him at the station, and I was the sole witness of his achillean wrath.
The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln Francis Fisher Browne

noun
(Greek myth) Greek hero, the son of Peleus and the sea goddess Thetis: in the Iliad the foremost of the Greek warriors at the siege of Troy. While he was a baby his mother plunged him into the river Styx making his body invulnerable except for the heel by which she held him. After slaying Hector, he was killed by Paris who wounded him in the heel

Greek hero of the Trojan War stories, son of Thetis and Peleus, his name is perhaps a compound of akhos “pain, grief” (see awe) + laos “the people, a people” (see lay (adj.)); or else it is from a pre-Greek language.
Achilles [(uh-kil-eez)]

In classical mythology, the greatest warrior on the Greek side in the Trojan War. When he was an infant, his mother tried to make him immortal by bathing him in a magical river, but the heel by which she held him remained vulnerable. During the Trojan War, he quarreled with the commander, Agamemnon, and in anger sulked in his tent. Eventually Achilles emerged to fight and killed the Trojan hero Hector, but he was wounded in the heel by an arrow and died shortly thereafter.

Note: People speak of an “Achilles’ heel” as the one weak or sore point in a person’s character.

Note: The Achilles tendon runs from the heel to the calf.

Note: Achilles is the hero of Homer’s Iliad.

Note: The phrase “wrath of Achilles” refers to the hero’s anger, which caused so much destruction that Homer refers to it as his main theme in the first line of the Iliad.

Read Also:

  • Achilles

    the greatest Greek warrior in the Trojan War and hero of Homer’s Iliad. He killed Hector and was killed when Paris wounded him in the heel, his one vulnerable spot, with an arrow. Contemporary Examples Achilles had his Patroclus, Quixote his Sancho, Jesus his apostles. Holy Homophobia, Batman! A Queer Reading of the Dark Knight […]

  • Achilles bursa

    achilles bursa Achilles bursa A·chil·les bursa (ə-kĭl’ēz) n. The bursa between the Achilles tendon and the upper part of the posterior surface of the calcaneus.

  • Achilles heel

    a portion, spot, area, or the like, that is especially or solely vulnerable: His Achilles heel is his quick temper. Contemporary Examples Signatures will not be his Achilles heel—he knows well how the game is played in this city. Rahm’s Rough Road Ahead John Conroy September 8, 2010 But it also represents the Achilles heel […]

  • Achilles jerk

    a downward reflex action of the foot when the Achilles tendon is tapped, caused by contraction of the calf muscles.

  • Achilles reflex

    . Achilles reflex n. A reflex bending of the foot resulting from contraction of the calf muscles when the Achilles tendon is sharply struck. Also called Achilles jerk, Achilles tendon reflex, ankle reflex, triceps surae reflex.


Disclaimer: Achillean definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.