Gilgamesh

noun

: a legendary Sumerian king and hero of the Gilgamesh Epic

Examples of Gilgamesh in a Sentence

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There was also Enkidu, a legendary figure and friend of the iconic Gilgamesh in Mesopotamian (Sumerian) mythology and Ótr, who, in Norse mythology, could take any form but usually picked that of an otter. Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 22 Jan. 2025 Humanity’s oldest epic is a doomed quest for immortality: Around four millenniums ago, the Sumerians told of a Mesopotamian king named Gilgamesh who set out to find life everlasting and briefly located a youth-restoring plant, only to lose it on his way home. Joe Kloc, New York Times, 18 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1894, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Gilgamesh was in 1894

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Cite this Entry

“Gilgamesh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Gilgamesh. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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