Patmos

Part of speech: noun, proper noun

Definitions

1. An island in the Aegean Sea known for its historical and religious significance
2. A Greek island famous for being the site of the biblical revelation attributed to St. John
3. A location in the Dodecanese group associated with early Christian writings and pilgrimage

Etymology: Patmos is best known as the name of a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea, famous primarily for its biblical associations. According to Christian tradition, it was on this remote island that John the Apostle received the visions recorded in the Book of Revelation. This connection dates back to the early centuries of Christianity, making Patmos a significant spiritual and pilgrimage site. The island’s name itself likely originates from ancient Greek. While the precise etymology is uncertain, it may derive from a pre-Greek or ancient Mediterranean substrate language, as many Aegean place names do. In classical sources, Patmos is mentioned simply as a geographic location without a clear meaning attached to the name. Some scholars speculate links to words meaning "rock" or "stone," reflecting the island’s rocky terrain. Through medieval and later Christian writings, the island’s name became synonymous with exile and revelation due to John’s imprisonment there. The term Patmos has thus carried a symbolic weight beyond its geographical reference, often evoked in literature and theology to represent isolation, prophecy, and spiritual insight. The word entered English usage primarily through translations of the Bible and subsequent Christian literature, becoming familiar in the context of apocalyptic visions and religious history. Its pronunciation and spelling have remained fairly stable, preserving the Greek form in Western languages.

Synonyms: island of Patmos