Milos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A Greek island in the Aegean Sea, renowned for its beautiful beaches and volcanic landscape
2. The site of historic significance, famous for the discovery of the Venus de Milo statue
3. A popular tourist destination known for its rich history and vibrant culture

Etymology: Milos is the plural of "milo," a grain sorghum, so the word's story belongs to the grain rather than to the Greek island or any tourist destination. The plural form here simply counts several varieties or lots of that grain. The name for the grain probably comes from Portuguese "milho," meaning millet. Early European accounts often confused millet with sorghum, since both were grown as staple cereals and looked similar in the field, so a name meant for one plant was carried over to the other. The Portuguese word itself has a Latin ancestor, "milium," which was the name for millet in classical Latin. The meaning given for this entry, a popular tourist destination known for its history and culture, does not match the grain sense recorded for this word, so the grain history is the part that can be traced here.