mentor

¹men·tor

noun \ˈmen-ˌtȯr, -tər\

Definition of MENTOR

1

capitalized : a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus' son Telemachus

2

a : a trusted counselor or guide

b : tutor, coach

— men·tor·ship \-ˌship\ noun

Examples of MENTOR

1. After college, her professor became her close friend and mentor.
2. He needed a mentor to teach him about the world of politics.
3. We volunteer as mentors to disadvantaged children.
4. young boys in need of mentors

Origin of MENTOR

Latin, from Greek Mentōr

First Known Use: 1616

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

²mentor

transitive verb

Definition of MENTOR

: to serve as a mentor for : tutor

Examples of MENTOR

1. The young intern was mentored by the country's top heart surgeon.
2. Our program focuses on mentoring teenagers.

First Known Use of MENTOR

1976

Related to MENTOR

Synonyms

coach, counsel, lead, guide, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor

Related Words

godfather; direct, engineer, steer, sway; accompany, attend, chaperone (or chaperon), convoy, escort, see, squire; oversee, superintend, supervise; drill, train; brief, enlighten, inform; instruct, school, teach, tutor; inculcate, indoctrinate; cultivate, foster, nurture

Rhymes with MENTOR

center, enter, renter, tenter, venter

Men·tor

geographical name \ˈmen-tər\

Definition of MENTOR

city NE Ohio NE of Cleveland pop 50,278