Wiktionary

Armageddon

See also: armageddon

English

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A nuclear holocaust is sometimes associated with modern visualizations of Armageddon

Etymology

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From Middle English Hermagedon, from Old English Ermagedon, from Latin Hermagedon, from Ancient Greek Ἁρμαγεδών (Harmagedṓn), used in Revelation 16:16, referring to Mount Megiddo, the place of the last battle at the Last Judgment; from Hebrew הר מגידו / הַר מְגִדּוֹ (har megiddo).[1]

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌɑː(ɹ).məˈɡɛ.dn̩/, /-ˈɡɛ.dən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌɑɹ.məˈɡɛ.dn̩/, /-ˈɡɛ.dən/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛdən
  • Hyphenation: Ar‧ma‧ged‧don

Proper noun

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Armageddon

  1. (Christianity, Islam) Mount Megiddo, the site of a prophesied final battle between the forces of good and evil.
    • 1941 October, F. S. Bond, “The Railways of China”, in Railway Magazine, page 440:
      And so, unfortunately, this great and spreading network of railways, that recently showed such promise as a major instrument in the modern development of China, must be left for the time being in the melting-pot of Armageddon.
  2. (by extension) The battle itself.
  3. (by extension) Any end of the world, especially by way of a cataclysmic battle or something analogous to one.
    • 1996, “Ænema”, performed by Tool:
      Some say the end is near
      Some say we'll see Armageddon soon
      I certainly hope we will
      I sure could use a vacation from this ...

Synonyms

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Coordinate terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ “Armageddon, n.”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

Further reading

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