noun
leviathan
luh-VIE-uh-thuhn/ləˈvaɪəθən/
An enormous sea monster of myth.
The leviathan towers over the sailing ship.
Etymology
The huge sea monster supplied an image for anything overwhelmingly large or powerful. The Hebrew name's deeper origin is unknown.
In context
Our imagination pictures a Leviathan, something armored with a thick shell and a dense skeleton
More examples
- The sailors tell stories of leviathans swallowing ships whole.
- A carving of a leviathan decorates the ship's bow.
- The biblical leviathan is a fearsome creature beyond human control.
Forms
leviathan · leviathans
Similar words
- kraken
- A legendary sea monster usually pictured as a giant squid.
- sea serpent
- Specifically a snake-shaped sea monster, not necessarily enormous.