Main Entry: idol

Pronunciation: \ˈī-d^əl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French idle, from Late Latin idolum, from Greek eidōlon image, idol; akin to Greek eidos form — more at idyll

Date: 13th century

1 : a representation or symbol of an object of worship; broadly : a false god
2 a : a likeness of something b obsolete : pretender, impostor
3 : a form or appearance visible but without substance <an enchanted phantom, a lifeless idol — P. B. Shelley>
4 : an object of extreme devotion <a movie idol>; also : ideal 2
5 : a false conception : fallacy