Venus

noun

Ve·nus | \ˈvē-nəs

\

Definition of Venus

1 : the Roman goddess of love and beauty — compare aphrodite

2 : the planet second in order from the sun — see Planets Table

History and Etymology for Venus

Latin Vener-, Venus, deified abstraction from an originally neuter common noun venus "sexual desire, qualities exciting desire, charm"; akin to Sanskrit vanate "(s/he) likes, takes pleasure in," -vana- "loving," vāñchati "(s/he) desires, wishes," Old English wȳscan "to wish," wunian "to remain, dwell," Old Norse una "to be satisfied"

Note: Latin venus, as probably also Vedic Sanskrit vanas-, a hapax legomenon of uncertain meaning, is an s-stem derivative from a verbal base going back to Indo-European *wenH- "wish, desire," most likely distinct from *wen- "struggle, gain"; see win entry 1.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about Venus

Dictionary Entries near Venus

Venus's-chariot

Statistics for Venus

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for Venus

The first known use of Venus was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for Venus

Venus

noun

English Language Learners Definition of Venus

: the planet that is second in order from the sun

See the full definition for Venus in the English Language Learners Dictionary

Venus

noun

Ve·nus | \ˈvē-nəs

\

Kids Definition of Venus

: the planet that is second in order of distance from the sun and has a diameter of about 7,500 miles (12,100 kilometers)

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

brouhaha

a state of commotion or excitement

Test Your Vocabulary

Words from Greek and Roman Mythology Quiz

Boreal comes from the name of the ancient Greek god of which wind?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games