Janus

noun

Ja·​nus ˈjā-nəs How to pronounce Janus (audio)
: a Roman god that is identified with doors, gates, and all beginnings and that is depicted with two opposite faces

Word History

Etymology

Latin

First Known Use

1508, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Janus was in 1508

Phrases Containing Janus

Rhymes for Janus

See All Rhymes for Janus

Browse Nearby Words

januis clausis
Janus
Janus-faced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Janus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Janus. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on Janus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Janus

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Words You Always Have to Look Up

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular

See More

Words You Always Have to Look Up

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-with-string
Fastest Quiz Ever: Missing Link Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All