Venus

noun

Ve·​nus ˈvē-nəs How to pronounce Venus (audio)
1
: the Roman goddess of love and beauty compare aphrodite
2
: the planet second in order from the sun see Planets Table

Examples of Venus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Swivel 180 degrees back from the moon to look west for the bright planet Venus and the bright twinkling, reddish star star Arcturus, the brightest star in the constellation Boötes; the comet will be high above a point roughly halfway between them. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Williams also won 14 grand slam doubles titles with sister Venus and four Olympic gold medals. —Matias Grez, CNN, 17 Oct. 2024 Read on for what Venus in Sagittarius means for your zodiac sign. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 17 Oct. 2024 But then getting our dog Hippie back like that was the most mind-blowing literal representation of Venus retrograde in someone’s sixth house. —Roya Backlund, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for Venus 

Word History

Etymology

Latin Vener-, Venus, deified abstraction from an originally neuter common noun venus "sexual desire, qualities exciting desire, charm"; akin to Sanskrit vanate "(s/he) likes, takes pleasure in," -vana- "loving," vāñchati "(s/he) desires, wishes," Old English wȳscan "to wish," wunian "to remain, dwell," Old Norse una "to be satisfied"

Note: Latin venus, as probably also Vedic Sanskrit vanas-, a hapax legomenon of uncertain meaning, is an s-stem derivative from a verbal base going back to Indo-European *wenH- "wish, desire," most likely distinct from *wen- "struggle, gain"; see win entry 1.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Venus was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing Venus

Dictionary Entries Near Venus

venulose

Venus

Venus's-basket

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Venus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Venus. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

Venus

noun
Ve·​nus ˈvē-nəs How to pronounce Venus (audio)
: the planet second in order from the sun see planet

More from Merriam-Webster on Venus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Venus

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