idol

idol
/uyd"l/, n.
1. an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.
2. Bible.
a. an image of a deity other than God.
b. the deity itself.
3. any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion: Madame Curie had been her childhood idol.
4. a mere image or semblance of something, visible but without substance, as a phantom.
5. a figment of the mind; fantasy.
6. a false conception or notion; fallacy.
[1200-50; ME < LL idolum < Gk eídolon image, idol, deriv. of eîdos shape, form]
Syn. 1. See image. 3. favorite, darling, pet.

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Image or statue of a deity used as an object of worship.

In Judaism, the making of any representation of God is strictly forbidden, as is the fashioning of any "graven image." Islam has also adhered to this rule. In Christianity, there has been a general acceptance of pictorial or sculpted images of Jesus and the saints and, on occasion, God, and Christianity has thus always faced the danger that such representations could be venerated superstitiously as idols. In Jainism, Hinduism, and Buddhism images of gods and saints are common; they are often the object of veneration. In Hinduism, a statue may be treated as a god as an act of devotion but loses its special status when the act of devotion is finished (see Durga-puja, puja).

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Idol — Idol …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • idol — idol; idol·a·ter; idol·a·tress; idol·a·tric; idol·a·trize; idol·a·trous; idol·a·try; idol·ism; idol·ist; idol·i·za·tion; idol·ize; idol·a·triz·er; idol·a·trous·ly; idol·a·trous·ness; idol·iz·er; …   English syllables

  • Idol — (von lateinisch idolum ‚Abgott‘, entlehnt im 18. Jahrhundert, das auf griechisch eídolon ‚Gestalt‘, ‚Bild‘, ‚Götzenbild‘ zurückgeht) steht für: Abgott, das Abbild eines Gottes Idolatrie, Form der Bilderverehrung göttlicher Wesen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • idol — ÍDOL, idoli, s.m. Divinitate păgână; (concr.) chip, figură, statuie reprezentând o asemenea divinitate şi constituind, în religiile politeiste, obiecte de cult religios. ♦ fig. Fiinţă sau lucru care reprezintă obiectul unui cult sau al unei mari… …   Dicționar Român

  • Idol — Sn vergöttertes Vorbild erw. stil. (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus l. īdōlum, īdōlon Schattenbild eines Abgeschiedenen, das Bild in der Seele, das Götzenbild , dieses aus gr. eídōlon, zu gr. ídeĩn erkennen, erblicken , ursprünglich Aorist zu… …   Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache

  • idol — ìdōl m <G idóla> DEFINICIJA 1. rel. a. slika, kip ili lik koji simbolizira višu silu ili više biće i sam postaje predmet obožavanja, onaj kojemu se iskazuje božanska čast b. krivo ili lažno božanstvo; kumir 2. a. pren. osoba pretjeranog,… …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • Idol — I dol, n. [OE. idole, F. idole, L. idolum, fr. Gr. ?, fr. ? that which is seen, the form, shape, figure, fr. ? to see. See {Wit}, and cf. {Eidolon}.] 1. An image or representation of anything. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] Do her adore with sacred… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • idol — [īd′ l] n. [ME idole < OFr < L idolum, an image, form, specter, apparition (in LL(Ec), idol) < Gr eidōlon, an image, phantom (in LGr(Ec), idol) < eidos, form: see OID] 1. an image of a god, used as an object or instrument of worship 2 …   English World dictionary

  • ìdōl — m 〈G idóla〉 1. {{001f}}rel. a. {{001f}}slika, kip ili lik koji simbolizira višu silu ili više biće i sam postaje predmet obožavanja; onaj kojemu se iskazuje božanska čast b. {{001f}}krivo ili lažno božanstvo; kumir 2. {{001f}}a. {{001f}}pren.… …   Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika

  • idol — (n.) mid 13c., image of a deity as an object of (pagan) worship, from O.Fr. idole idol, graven image, pagan god, from L.L. idolum image (mental or physical), form, used in Church Latin for false god, from Gk. eidolon appearance, reflection in… …   Etymology dictionary

  • idol-? — *idol ? germ.?, Substantiv: nhd. Götzenbild; ne. idol; Interferenz: Lehnwort lat. īdōlum; Etymologie: s. īdōlum, Neutrum, Bild; gr. εἴδωλον ( …   Germanisches Wörterbuch

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