Theseus

noun

The·​seus ˈthē-ˌsüs  -sē-əs 

: a king of Athens in Greek mythology who kills Procrustes and the Minotaur before defeating the Amazons and marrying their queen

Examples of Theseus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The House of Theseus, thought to have been the residence of the Roman governor, has an impressive mosaic illustrating the legendary battle between Theseus and the Minotaur. — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026

The relationship between the contemporary Christina O and Aristotle Onassis’s Christina, though, recalls the Ship of Theseus. — Michael Ballaban, CNN Money, 9 May 2026

At the close of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (which, incidentally, features an admirable character called Bottom the Weaver), a play is to be performed for Duke Theseus and his bride, the Amazon Hippolyta, with a prologue spoken by the director. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

The 964-gen 911 that launched in 1989 was the first true all-at-one update to the model since its creation, with the previous decades filled with the sort of slow but ultimately comprehensive updates that defined Theseus’s ship. — Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026

Py for the programming language Python, and Theus for Theseus, after the Greek hero who killed the mythical Minotaur. — Quanta Magazine, 21 July 2025

But the story of the Minotaur is mostly one of a scary monster in a maze slain by Theseus, a handsome hero. — John Wiswell, People.com, 3 July 2025

Like a Ship of Theseus, the ARPANET lived on even after every component of it was replaced. — ArsTechnica, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek Thēseus

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Theseus

• tious
• cutaneous
• prometheus
• facias
• morpheus
• purlieus