Nereus

Ne·re·us

noun \ˈnir-ē-əs\

Definition of NEREUS

: a sea-god in Greek mythology

Origin of NEREUS

Latin, from Greek Nēreus

First Known Use: 1513

Rhymes with NEREUS

cereus, serious, Sirius

Nereus

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Nereus struggling with Heracles, detail from a Greek water jar found at Vulci, c. 490 BC; …—Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum

Greek sea god. The son of Pontus (a personification of the sea) and Gaea, he was noted for his gift of prophecy and his ability to change his shape. He lived at the bottom of the sea with his daughters, the Nereids. Heracles wrestled with him in a variety of shapes in order to gain his advice about recovering the golden apples of the Hesperides.