Pronounced: uh-SEES-is, noun
Notes: Another new word to me
Yesterday’s word
The word pantheon means
- a temple dedicated to all the gods, or the gods of a people
- a group of illustrious persons
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1300s to early 1400s
Background / Comments
I noted yesterday that I was not familiar with one definition — specifically, the second definition above. When capitalized, our word referred to the circular domed temple built in Rome. The Romans borrowed the name of the temple from the Greek word (pantheion) for a temple honoring all their gods. That word comes from pan- (all) and theos (god). The second meaning above came into usage in the 1800s.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 