The Plural of Cyclops: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

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The Plural of Cyclops: Here’s What It Is and How to Use It

If you have ever needed to use the plural form of cyclops and wondered what it is, you have come to the right place. This article will teach you all about these feared mythical creatures, the plural form of the word, the history and word origin, synonyms, and examples of the word in context. 

What Is the Plural Form of Cyclops?

The word cyclops is in its plural form already, you might also see it written as plural cyclopes which is also correct. It’s not “cyclopses.” Here is the definition of the words: 

  • Cyclopes\ sī-​ˈklō-​(ˌ)pēz  \ capitalized: any of a race of giants in Greek mythology with a single eye in the middle of the forehead 
  • Cyclops [New Latin, genus name, from Latin]: any of a genus Cyclops of freshwater predatory copepods having a single median eye

The History and Origin of the Word

The first known use of the word was 1510  from the Latin cyclops and then in 1513 from the Greek kuklops or kyklops from the PIE root kwel and ops to get the literal meaning of to revolve, to see. In Greek mythology, the word was used to describe a giant with one eye in the middle of their forehead. 

The Hesiodic legend tells stories of three different cyclops from the Titan race. They were the sons of Uranus and Ge. Legend has it they formed the thunderbolts of Zeus, Pluto’s helmet, Poseidon’s trident. It is said their workshop was under Mount Etna ( the highest active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, Italy). 

Other classical mythology legends such as Odysseus in the Odyssey, they were wild giants from Sicily that were cannibal shepherds following their leader Polyphemus. Then there were the giants from Thrace (an ancient region of varying extent in the Eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula: later a Roman province; now in Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece) who were under a kind cyclops. It is said these cyclops were responsible for building the ancient walls and fortresses of Greece. Cyclops is not a proper noun. 

Synonyms of Cyclops

  • Hercules- a mythical Greek hero renowned for his great strength and especially for performing 12 labors imposed on him by Hera
    • A northern constellation between Corona Borealis and Lyra
  • Behemoth- often capitalized,  religion : a mighty animal described in Job 40:15–24 as an example of the power of God
    • Something of monstrous size, power, or appearance 
    • A behemoth truck
  • Bulk- MAGNITUDE
    • Impressed by the sheer bulk of her accomplishment
    • Biology : material that forms a mass in the intestine
    • Especially: FIBER sense 1d
    • Need more bulk in their diet 
    • BODY
    • Especially: a large or corpulent human body 
    • He hauled his … bulk out of the armchair — Herman Wouk
    • An organized structure especially when viewed primarily as a mass of material 
    • The giant bulk of Mt. Katahdin— Jackson Rivers
    • A ponderous shapeless mass
    • The main or greater part 
    • Spent the bulk of his time in the office
    • The bulk of the population
  • Colossus-: a statue of gigantic size and proportions
    • A person or thing of immense size or power
  • Leviathan- often capitalized: a sea monster defeated by Yahweh in various scriptural accounts
    • A large sea animal 
    • This leviathan of animals is the great Blue Whale — Weston LaBarre
  • Monster-  an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure 
    • A mythical monster
    • A sea monster
    • One who deviates from normal or acceptable behavior or character 
    • An immoral monster
    • A threatening force 
    • The same monster—Destiny … that rolls every civilization to doom — W. L. Sullivan
    • An animal of strange or terrifying shape 
    • Visualize this scaleless monster, eight or nine feet long, sprawling in the shade by the side of the mud pools — W. E. Swinton
    • One unusually large for its kind 
    • That truck is a monster.
    • Something monstrous
    • Especially: a person of unnatural or extreme ugliness, deformity, wickedness, or cruelty 
    • His father was a monster who beat his children for no reason. 
    • One that is highly successful 
    • That movie was a monster at the box office.
  • Ogre-  a hideous giant of fairy tales and folklore that feeds on human beings: MONSTER
  • A dreaded person or object
  • Titan- any of a family of giants in ancient Greek mythology born of Uranus and Gaea and ruling the earth until overthrown by the Olympian gods
    • One that is gigantic in size or power: one that stands out for greatness of achievement

Examples of the Word in Context

Summary

The English language can be a tricky thing since it is a compilation of many other languages. Finding the correct plural forms of words is an important step to becoming well educated. Now you are an expert on all things regarding cyclops. 

Sources:

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cyclops
  2. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Mount%20Etna
  3. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/thrace
  4. https://www.etymonline.com/word/cyclops
  5. https://www.wired.com/story/2020-summer-reading-list
  6. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/16/us/racist-statues-controversial-monuments-in-america-robert-lee-columbus/index.html
  7. https://www.wsj.com/articles/childrens-books-james-baldwins-tale-of-childhood-in-harlem-1535059333
  8. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/damsel-review-1077777
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Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.

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