Daniel
WordNet
noun
(1) An Old Testament book that tells of the apocalyptic visions and the experiences of Daniel in the court of Nebuchadnezzar
(2) A wise and upright judge
"A Daniel come to judgment" -- Shakespeare
(3) (Old Testament) a youth who was taken into the court of Nebuchadnezzar and given divine protection when thrown into a den of lions (6th century BC)
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From , from . Name borne from the prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel. [Oxford Names Companion, The]
Proper noun
(Dan·iel)
- The book in the Old Testament of the Bible.
- The prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel.
- in regular use since the Middle Ages and recently quite popular.
- .
- A location in the state of Wyoming in the United States (Zip Code: 83115). (From the U.S. Census Bureau 1990)
Quotations
: Daniel 6: 16:-
- Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
- ~1594 William Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice: Act IV, Scene I:
- A Daniel come to judgment! yea, a Daniel!
- O wise young judge, how do I honour thee!
- 1989 John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Corgi Books, ISBN 0552135399, page 55:
- "His name is Daniel Needham," my mother said. Whew! With what relief - down came my grandmother's hands! Needham was a fine old name, a founding fathers sort of name, a name you could trace back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony - if not exactly Gravesend itself. And Daniel was as Daniel as Daniel Webster, which was as good a name as a Wheelwright could wish for.
- "But he's called Dan," my mother added, bringing a slight frown to my grandmother's countenance.