lucifer
/ˈluːsɪfə/ proper noun
Forms lucifers
- proper noun (literary) The planet Venus as the daystar (the morning star).
- proper noun (biblical) The King of Babylon who was compared to the planet Venus in first the Wycliffe version then the King James Version of Isaiah 14:12; it is unclear whether this verse refers to a specific king or to a representation of the entire line of kings of Babylon.
- proper noun Satan, the Devil.
Synonyms
Phosphorus Eosphorus Vesper Hesperus evening star Venus Aduwallah Adversary Al-Shaytaan Antichrist archfiend Ash-Shaytan Azazel Beast Beelzebub bogey cosmocrat deceiver deuce Devil Satan Old Nick the Tempter Prince of Darkness morning star daystar match friction match
Etymology
From Middle English Lucifer, from Latin Lūcifer (from lūx (“light”) + ferō (“bear, carry”)). Attested in Old English as Lūċifer. Replaced native calque lēohtberend (“lightbearer”) also from the same Latin source. Application of the name to Satan results from what is probably a misinterpretation of Isaiah 14:12 (whence also the corresponding sense of morning star).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The planet Venus, when appearing as the morning star; --applied in Isaiah by a metaphor to a king of Babylon.
- noun Hence, Satan.
Etymology [L., bringing light, n., the morning star, fr. lux, lucis, light + ferre to bring.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lucifer”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details