Word of the Day: LEVIATHAN

Immense and terrible

leviathan (noun) - something extremely large and powerful; a huge aquatic creature or a sea monster; a sprawling and dominant political state [li-vahy-uh-thuhn]

• leviathan can also be used to describe anything monstrously large and imposing

BREAKDOWN: While mythical sea monsters definitely predate the Bible, the Leviathan is name checked in the Old Testament as a primordial sea serpent slain by Yahweh. The term has become descriptive of anything sufficiently large and monstrous. Thomas Hobbes even used the term to evoke the image of a strong sovereign government in Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil.

“In the belly of Leviathan... one can either despair and perish, or be cheerful and persevere.” —Dean Koontz

[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]