Meaning & use
Minotaur
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
In Greek mythology, a creature with a human body and a bull's head, kept in a labyrinth on Crete.
Grammar: Usually used with 'the': the Minotaur. It is a name, so it does not take 'a' or a plural.
Patterns
- the Minotaur
- slay the Minotaur
In the myth, Theseus enters the labyrinth to kill the Minotaur.
The Minotaur was said to be the child of Pasiphae and a sacred bull.
Painters often show the Minotaur with a bull's head and a strong human body.
nouncountablefigurative
A person or thing that seems like a frightening bull-man, often used figuratively for a monster or a difficult opponent.
Grammar: Used without 'the' and with 'a' when it means a type of creature or a figurative monster.
Patterns
- a modern Minotaur
- like a Minotaur
The dictator was described in the press as a Minotaur devouring his own people.
In the novel, the factory is a Minotaur that swallows the workers' lives.
Word forms
| plural | Minotaurs |
|---|
Common combinations
- the Minotaur's labyrinth
- The hero wandered through the Minotaur's labyrinth for hours.
- slay the Minotaur
- Only a brave warrior dared to slay the Minotaur.
- the myth of the Minotaur
- The myth of the Minotaur has inspired many modern films.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bull-man
- A general descriptive term for a creature that is part bull and part human; it does not refer specifically to the Greek myth.
Word family
- Minotaurian adjective
- Relating to the Minotaur or resembling it; very rare and mostly literary.
Commonly confused: Minotaur or centaur?
Minotaur vs centaur
A centaur is half human and half horse, while the Minotaur is half human and half bull.
Practice
In Greek myth, what is the Minotaur?
Choose one answer.
The Minotaur is the bull-headed, human-bodied monster kept in the labyrinth. Option 0 describes Pegasus, option 2 describes Argus, and option 3 describes a sea monster such as the Ketos.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Minotaur”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.