Bucephalus

English

Alternative forms

• Bucephalas

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin Būcephalus, from Ancient Greek Βουκέφαλος, Βουκεφάλας (Bouképhalos, Boukephálas), from βοῦς (boûs, “ox”) +‎ κεφᾰλή (kephalḗ, “head”) +‎ -ᾱς (-ās).

Proper noun

Bucephalus

1. (historical) The warhorse of Alexander the Great.

Translations

the warhorse of Alexander the Great

• Danish: Bukephalos
• Finnish: Bukefalos
• Greek:

  Ancient: Βουκεφᾰ́λᾱς m (Boukephálās)

• Hungarian: Bukephalosz
• Latin: Būcephalus
• Macedonian: Бу́кефал m (Búkefal)
• Marathi: बुसेफालस m (busephālas), बौकेफालोस m (baukephālos)
• Polish: Bucefał (pl) m
• Portuguese: Bucéfalo m

Further reading

• Bucephalus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Alexandria Bucephalous on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Noun

Bucephalus (plural Bucephaluses)

1. (humorous) Any horse used for riding.
   • 1814 July 7, [Walter Scott], Waverley; or, ’Tis Sixty Years Since. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh:  […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC:

     the Bucephalus which he bestrode

2. (figurative, obsolete) That which is the greatest of its kind.
   • 1892, Herbert A. Giles, A Chinese–English Dictionary, 1st edition:

     It will suffice to say that when I started on my journey into the realms of lexicography, I regarded Kʻang Hsi as a Bucephalus on whose tail — 蠅附龭尾 — a foreign fly might safely get an advantageous lift.