Pegasi

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Winged horses from mythology known for their ability to fly, often representing freedom and inspiration; plural of a legendary creature characterized by equine form and wings; figures in stories symbolizing soaring imagination and heroic feats
2. Mythical creatures resembling horses with feathers and wings, reputed to soar through the skies; the plural term for a fictional equine species associated with Greek legends; emblems of flight and poetic creativity in cultural tales
3. Imaginary winged equines famed for airborne travel and mythological adventures, collectively known by a plural name; creatures from ancient lore depicted as flying horses; symbols of elevated thoughts and heroic journeys in artistic narratives

Etymology: "Pegasi" is the plural of "Pegasus," the winged horse of Greek myth. The singular was borrowed into English directly from Latin "Pegasus," which took it from Greek "Pēgasos," a word usually linked to "pēgē," meaning spring or fountain. In the myth, Pegasus was born from the blood of Medusa when Perseus beheaded her, and he sprang from the spring-associated sources of the Muses' mountain, Helicon, where his hoof strikes are said to have opened the fountain Hippocrene. Because the name is a proper noun, English speakers have long treated the plural irregularly. "Pegasi" follows the Latin and Greek pattern of forming plurals in "-i," the same way "alumni" and "fungi" do, though "Pegasuses" is also common and accepted. Writers who want the ancient pattern tend to use "Pegasi," while modern dictionaries list both forms.

Synonyms: winged horse, flying horse