Goliathn.
/ɡə(ʊ)ˈlʌɪəθ/, U.S. /ɡəˈlaɪəθ/ 1. A giant; often with allusion to details in the Scripture narrative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > supernatural being > mythical creature or object > [noun] > fabulous or mythical human > giant
eontOE
etenc1275
giant1297
gigant?a1475
Gargantua1571
Goliath1607
rouncival1641
1607 S. Hieron Remedie for Securitie in Wks. (1620) I. 429 I haue..chosen this clause, as a smooth stone, by which I may..smite this Goliah in the forehead.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) i. iii. 12 None but Samsons and Goliasses It sendeth forth to skirmish. View more context for this quotation
1686 R. Plot Nat. Hist. Staffs. viii. 331 The world still affording us a Goliah now and then, as well as of old.
1830 J. G. Strutt Sylva Brit. (rev. ed.) 4 These Goliahs of the forest.
1846 J. Hamilton Mt. Olives iv. 105 The Goliath of English literature felt that he had studied successfully when he had prayed earnestly.
2.
a. A very large lamellicorn beetle, of the genus Goliathus or the family Goliathidæ.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > order Coleoptera or beetles and weevils > [noun] > Polyphaga (omnivorous) > superfamily Lamellicornia Scarabaeoidea > member of family Goliathidae
Goliath1826
1826 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. IV. 494 The vast African Goliaths.
1826 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. IV. Index 628 Goliath beetles.
b. In full Goliath heron. The African giant heron, Ardea goliath.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Ciconiiformes (storks, etc.) > [noun] > family Ardeidae (herons and bitterns) > genus Ardea (heron) > miscellaneous types of
blue heron1565
white heron1575
blue heron1731
squacco1752
frog-catcher1782
purple heron1785
great blue1838
Goliath1860
1860 Ibis 2 220 Ardea Goliath, Temm. Goliath Heron.
1906 W. L. Sclater Birds S. Afr. IV. 55 Goliath Heron.
1906 W. L. Sclater Birds S. Afr. IV. 56 The Goliath is found throughout the greater part of Africa.
1970 Animals July 127/1 Huge goliath herons stand like statues, suddenly darting to life to spear a fish or a frog.
c. In full Goliath frog. A giant frog, /ɡəˈlaɪəθ ˌfrɑɡ/,
Brit. /ɡə(ʊ)ˈlʌɪəθ frɒɡ/
, /ɡə(ʊ)ˈlʌɪəθ frɒɡ/U.S. /ɡəˈlaɪəθ ˌfrɔɡ/
, /ɡəˈlaɪəθ ˌfrɔɡ//ɡəˈlaɪəθ ˌfrɑɡ/West African English /ɡoˈlaiat ˌfrɔɡ/
Cyclorana goliath, found in the southern region of the Republic of Cameroon./ɡoˈlaiat ˌfrɔɡ/ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > amphibians > order Anura or Salienta (frogs and toads) > [noun] > types of frog or toad > suborder Diplasiocoela > family Ranidae (common frogs) > member of genus Rana
shad-frog1791
thirsty frog1802
wrestler frog1892
Goliath1931
1914 E. G. Boulenger Reptiles & Batrachians ii. 208 The Giant Frog, Rana goliath, of Cameroon..was discovered only quite recently.]
1931 H. W. Parker in W. P. Pycraft Standard Nat. Hist. xii. 501 We may mention the..largest of all frogs, the giant Goliath-frog (R[ana] goliath) of the Cameroons, which is as big as a medium-sized terrier and can eat a full-grown rat.
1961 D. M. Cochran Living Amphibians of World 159/1 It seems very unlikely that a successful cross could ever be made between the goliath frog and any frog from the northern hemisphere.
3. A kind of powerful travelling crane. Also attributive.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > lifting or hoisting equipment > [noun] > crane > types of
quay crane1821
balance-crane1824
well crane1836
water crane1849
jenny1861
jib-crane1873
stacker1875
Titan1876
transfer-elevatora1884
whip-crane1883
Goliath1888
jigger1891
wharf crane1893
floating crane1903
tower crane1906
hammer-headed crane1908
portal crane1908
hammer-head crane1910
luffing crane1913
cherry-picker1945
stacker crane1959
monotower1963
Transtainer1964
portainer1966
1888 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. (at cited word) Goliaths, like travellers, are worked both by hand and by steam power.
1892 E. Marks Notes Constr. Cranes 107 A Goliath supplied to the Government of New South Wales.
1892 E. Marks Notes Constr. Cranes 108 The Goliath crane, known also as the Wellington crane.
1892 F. Colyer Lifting & Pressing Machinery (ed. 2) 164 ‘Goliath’ Travellers.
1928 Daily Express 5 Dec. 13 Floating cranes and land cranes, goliaths and derricks.
1970 Railway Modeller May 155/1 Three closely spaced sidings are spanned with a Goliath crane.
Draft additions September 2017
goliath bird-eater n. the goliath bird-eating spider, Theraphosa blondi.
ΚΠ
1989 S. Birnbaum & A. M. Birnbaum Birnbaum's Great Brit. 1990 465 This specially created jungle has nearly 1,000 free flying butterflies, birds, and insects, including the world's largest species of spider, the Therathosa Leblondi (goliath bird eater).
1999 Guardian 2 Jan. i. 7/2 Staff unpacking a consignment of figs and nuts from South America at the wholesale market in Sheffield found a goliath bird eater.
2013 K. Petrie Tarantulas 11 The largest tarantula species is the goliath birdeater.
Draft additions September 2017
goliath bird-eating spider n. a large spider, Theraphosa blondi (family Theraphosidae), native to northern South America, which has the highest weight and body size of any known spider (cf. bird-eating spider n. at bird-eating adj. Compounds).
ΚΠ
1987 A. Russel & N. McWhirter Guinness Bk. World Rec. 1988 38/3 The world's largest known spider is the Goliath bird-eating spider (Theraphosa leblondi) of the coastal rain-forests of..north-eastern South America.
1998 New Scientist 21 Feb. 19/3 Robert Bustard from Perthshire has a two-year old Goliath bird-eating spider that he says will soon outgrow the current record holder.
2014 C. Archer Bird-eating Spiders 10 The largest spider on Earth is a bird-eater. It is called the goliath bird-eating spider.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1900; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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