- skip - Brewer’s

Briarʹeos or Ægeʹon

.

A giant with fifty heads and a hundred hands. Homer says the gods called him Briarʹeos, but men called him Ægeon. (Iliad, i. 403.)

Not he who brandished in his hundred hands

His fifty swords and fifty shields in fight,

Could have surpassed the fierce Argantes might.”


The Briareus of languages. Cardinal Mezzofanti, who knew fifty-eight different tongues. Byron called him “a walking polyglot; a monster of languages; a Briareus of parts of speech.” (1774–1849.) Generally pronounced Briʹ-a-ruce.

Bold Briareus. Handel (1685–1756).

 

previous entry · index · next entry

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

previous entry · index · next entry

Brent
Brent-goose (A)
Brent-hill
Brentford
Bressommer
Bretwalda (ruler of Britain)
Brevet Rank
Breviary
Brew
Brewer
Briareos or Ægeon
Briar-root Pipe
Briboci
Bric-à-brac
Brick
Brick-and-mortar Franchise
Brickdusts
Brick-tea
Bride
Bride Cake
Bride or Wedding Favours