Definition of "hero" []

• In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. (noun)
• A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war. (noun)
• A person noted for special achievement in a particular field: the heroes of medicine. See Synonyms at celebrity. (noun)
• The principal male character in a novel, poem, or dramatic presentation. (noun)
• Chiefly New York City See submarine. See Regional Note at submarine. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "VIEW FAVORITES yahooBuzzArticleHeadline = 'One man\'s hero is another\'s thief'; yahooBuzzArticleSummary = 'My nomination for our next \'local hero\': Steve Heller."
• "Look as you please; if he had not been here, and a hero, -- a _hero_, -- I should be devoured by the flames."
• "But somehow or another, the term hero has been cheapened."