Thyraeus
/θaɪˈriːəs/noun
A taxonomic name used for a genus of cuckoo bees, also commonly treated under the spelling Thyreus.
Did you know?Ancient Greek thyreos meant an elongated shield, a term derived from thyra, “door,” because the shield resembled a door; the same root ultimately connects to English door.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dʰwer-
“Door or passageway”
Ancient Greek
Greek
θύρα (thýra)
“Door, entrance, or gateway”
Classical Greek
Greek
θυρεός (thyreós)
“An oblong shield, literally something door-like in shape”
Hellenistic–Roman period
Greek/Latin
θυραῖος / thyraeus
“Of a door, door-like, or associated with a shield”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Thyraeus
“A taxonomic genus name formed from the Greek-derived term”
Modern English
English
Thyraeus
“A genus name for cuckoo bees, commonly treated as a variant of Thyreus”