Vulcan

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The deity from Roman mythology associated with fire, metalwork, and craftsmanship ; a mechanical device designed to deliver an explosive charge ; a commercial name used for various products or services
2. A figure in ancient Roman religion revered as the god overseeing fire and forging ; an apparatus constructed for explosive impact or demolition ; a trademark applied to a line of goods or business offerings
3. An ancient Roman fire and smithing god worshiped as protector of blacksmiths and artisans ; a tool or apparatus intended to cause explosions ; a corporate or product name used in marketing contexts

Etymology: The god's name was probably borrowed from the Etruscans, whose language remains only partly understood, so no one can say for certain what "Vulcanus" meant. The Romans knew him as the god of fire and metalworking, and the Greeks identified him with Hephaestus, the lame smith of the gods. That lameness is why English speakers once used "Vulcan" to mean a blacksmith or metalworker, and sometimes a lame person, both allusions to the god's own limp. The most striking afterlife of the name is in the sky. In 1846, the French astronomer Jacques Babinet proposed "Vulcan" for a hypothetical planet orbiting close to the Sun, a fiery world fitting the god's name. The planet was never found, but the name stuck as a term of astronomical speculation. Some centuries later, the name came back to earth as a word for volcano. Middle English "wlcane" came via Middle French and then Spanish "volcán", which traces back to the Italian island name "Vulcano" in the Aeolian Islands, itself linked to the Roman god. Vulcan also gave English its adjective "Vulcan" in the 1960s Star Trek series, where the alien species is named after the planet.

Synonyms: volcano god, fire god, smith god