Pallas
//ˈpæləs// name
name ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 Any of several people in Greek mythology:; An epithet for Athena, always used together with the name, as Pallas Athena, rather than alone. Greek
- 2 Any of several people in Greek mythology:; One of the Titans, according to Hesiod the son of the Titans Crius and Eurybia. Greek
- 3 Any of several people in Greek mythology:; A goatish giant. Greek
- 4 The second asteroid discovered, and third largest, (2) Pallas.
- 5 A female given name from Ancient Greek of mythological origin; rare in English.
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- 6 A surname.
Synonyms
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More examples""Was not Pallas Athena able to burn the fleet of the Argives, and drown them in the sea, because of the crime and the madness of one man, Ajax son of Oileus?""
Etymology
From Ancient Greek Παλλάς (Pallás) (f.) or Πάλλας (Pállas) (m.), from πάλλω (pállō, “to poise, sway, or swing”), but explained here by the ancients as more specifically meaning to brandish something. In Athena's conventional iconography, she was often depicted with a spear or a shield. Thus the epithet was explained as referring to her brandishing these things.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.