Elmo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A name used for a red puppet character known for a childlike voice and friendly personality on a children’s educational television program; a term occasionally used to refer to religious figures or scholars in medieval European contexts; a name given to a type of camera used for shooting or projecting films in close-up sequences
2. Referring to a popular red furry character on a youth TV show associated with learning and play; historically, a designation for certain European saints or clergy in the Middle Ages; a brand or style of movie camera equipment designed for close imagery
3. Identifying a beloved red puppet figure from a famous children’s show remembered for innocence and teaching; a medieval title linked to saints or sacred men in Europe; a specific camera model or technique employed in detailed film shots

Etymology: Long before it named a puppet, this name belonged to a saint. Sant'Elmo is a medieval Italian corruption of Erasmus, an early Christian bishop who became a patron of sailors. Sailors who saw a faint glow on ship masts during storms called it Saint Elmo's fire, and the saint's name stuck to the phenomenon. The same spelling is also an initialism standing for "enough, let's move on," a dismissive shorthand for ending an argument or a tangent. The puppet, the saint, and the initialism share nothing but the letters.

Synonyms: helmet, headgear, cap, armor, headpiece