HOW TO PRONOUNCE
janus
/ˈd͡ʒeɪnəs/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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What does janus mean?
proper noun
- The god of doorways, gates and transitions, and of beginnings and endings, having two faces looking in opposite directions.
- Used to indicate things with two faces (such as animals with diprosopus) or aspects; or made of two different materials; or having a two-way action.
- Used to indicate an azo dye with a quaternary ammonium group, frequently with the diazo component being safranine.
More meanings (3)
proper noun
- (figuratively) A two-faced person, a hypocrite.
- A moon of Saturn.
- (rare) A male given name from Latin.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈd͡ʒeɪnəs/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
The Kalends of January at Rome were sacred to Janus and Juno to whom sacrifices were offered.
The temple of Janus with his two controversial faces might now not unsignificantly be set open.
More book examples (3)
Let childhood look forward and age backward; was not this the signification of Janus’ double face?
Whereupon I clapped spurs to my young Janus, and went off after them at full stretch, hoping to gain their front and so bring them to.
Now, by two-headed Janus, Nature hath fram’d strange fellows in her time: Some that will evermore peep through their eyes, And laugh like parrots at a bagpiper.