Cyclopes

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /saɪˈkloʊ.piz/

Definitions

1. A race of one-eyed giants from Greek mythology known for their strength and craftsmanship in creating Zeus's thunderbolts and other formidable weapons
2. Mythical beings characterized by their single eye in the center of their forehead; famous for their immense size and skills in forging items for the gods
3. One-eyed titans of ancient lore; recognized as skilled artisans who fashioned powerful tools and weapons for famous deities in ancient Greek tales

Etymology: The Greek name for these giants was "Kúklōps", which literally means "round-eye" or "round-eyed", from "kýklos" (circle, wheel) and "ōps" (eye, face). Homer's Odyssey made the creature famous, with its single eye in the middle of its forehead, but the name describes the eye's shape rather than the number of eyes. The one-eyed monsters were therefore named for a round eye, and the single-eye image grew out of that name. English borrowed the singular "cyclops" directly from Latin "cyclōps", which had itself taken the Greek form. The plural "cyclopes" keeps the Greek plural ending, a pattern English speakers use with a number of classical borrowings.