Medusa
/mɪˈdjuːsə/noun
In Greek mythology, a Gorgon whose gaze turns onlookers to stone; by extension, a dangerously alluring or fearsome woman.
Did you know?Medusa’s name comes from the Greek verb *medein* (“to protect, rule over”), so her image began as a terrifying kind of power, not just a horror story.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*med-
“to measure, to give advice, to rule”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μέδουσα (Médousa)
“the guarding or ruling one”
Classical Greek
Greek
Μέδουσα
“a Gorgon figure in myth”
Latin
Latin
Medusa
“the mythological Gorgon”
Modern English
English
Medusa
“a Gorgon whose gaze turns people to stone; a fearsome woman or image”