Minotaur
/ˈmɪn.ə.tɔːr/noun
A mythical creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull.
Did you know?Its name comes from Greek myth: Minōs + tauros, literally tying the beast to King Minos and the bull that made the labyrinth necessary.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μινώταυρος (Minṓtauros)
“Minos's bull; the monster in the Cretan labyrinth”
Late Greek / Roman period
Latin
Minotaurus
“Borrowed form used in Latin literature”
Middle English
English
minotaur
“The legendary Cretan monster, part man and part bull”
Modern English
English
minotaur
“A mythical creature with a man's body and a bull's head”
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