Definition of "mentor" []

• A wise and trusted counselor or teacher. (noun)
• Greek Mythology Odysseus's trusted counselor, in whose guise Athena became the guardian and teacher of Telemachus. (noun)
• To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher, especially in occupational settings. (verb-intransitive)
• To serve as a trusted counselor or teacher to (another person). (verb-transitive)

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.

• "I don't know if I consciously knew the word mentor back then, I just knew that I felt better when her letters arrived."
• "Note that the term mentor is not the same as idol, and implies a direct working relationship."
• "During morning prayers, Ifemelu's mother commanded God to bless the General, "Father Lord, bless Uju's mentor," she would say, the word "mentor" pushed out of her mouth like a challenge."