Juggernaut


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jug·ger·naut

 (jŭg′ər-nôt′)
n.
An overwhelming or unstoppable force: "With the newly empowered juggernaut of the Pentagon bureaucracy gaining momentum, the president was no longer in control" (James Carroll).

[Hindi jagannāth, title of Krishna, from Sanskrit jagannāthaḥ, lord of the world : jagat, moving, the world (from earlier present participle of jigāti, he goes; see gwā- in Indo-European roots) + nāthaḥ, lord (from nāthate, he helps, protects).]
Word History: For centuries, the Indian city of Puri has held an annual festival in honor of the god Krishna, worshiped under his Sanskrit title Jagannāthaḥ, "Lord of the World." In the middle of the rainy season, devotees transport highly adorned figures representing Krishna, his brother Baladeva, and his half-sister Subhadra from the temple where they usually reside to another temple some two and a half miles away. There, Krishna enjoys the new locale until his return a week or two later. Krishna and his siblings are transported in three chariots—massive towerlike structures about 45 feet high, mounted on many wheels, and lavishly decorated. Thousands of devotees pull the chariots with ropes and are cheered on by a crowd of over a million pilgrims. Worshipers try to obtain blessings by touching the ropes, and some have been crushed in the throng or have fallen under the wheels. Early Western observers in colonial India greatly exaggerated the number of these deaths, however, and sensationalized reports of the incidents led to the borrowing of Jagannāthaḥ into English as juggernaut, "an irresistible force that rolls unstoppably over its victims."
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Juggernaut

(ˈdʒʌɡəˌnɔːt)
n
1. (Hinduism) a crude idol of Krishna worshipped at Puri and throughout Odisha (formerly Orissa) and Bengal. At an annual festival the idol is wheeled through the town on a gigantic chariot and devotees are supposed to have formerly thrown themselves under the wheels
2. (Hinduism) a form of Krishna miraculously raised by Brahma from the state of a crude idol to that of a living god
[C17: from Hindi Jagannath, from Sanskrit Jagannātha lord of the world (that is, Vishnu, chief of the Hindu gods), from jagat world + nātha lord]

juggernaut

(ˈdʒʌɡəˌnɔːt)
n
1. any terrible force, esp one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice
2. (Automotive Engineering) Brit a very large lorry for transporting goods by road, esp one that travels throughout Europe
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Jug•ger•naut

(ˈdʒʌg ərˌnɔt, -ˌnɒt)

n.
1. (often l.c.) any large, overpowering, destructive force or object.
2. (often l.c.) anything requiring blind devotion or cruel sacrifice.
3. an idol of Krishna, at Puri in Orissa, India, annually drawn on a huge cart under whose wheels devotees are said to have thrown themselves to be crushed.
[1630–40; < Hindi Jagannāth < Skt Jagannātha lord of the world]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

juggernaut

- Derived from Sanskrit Jagannamacrtha, "lord of the world," a title of Krishna, worshipped at an annual festival by the dragging of his image through the streets in a heavy chariot.
See also related terms for streets.
Farlex Trivia Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.Juggernaut - a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its wayjuggernaut - a massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way
power, force - one possessing or exercising power or influence or authority; "the mysterious presence of an evil power"; "may the force be with you"; "the forces of evil"
2.Juggernaut - an avatar of VishnuJuggernaut - an avatar of Vishnu      
3.Juggernaut - a crude idol of Krishna
graven image, idol, god - a material effigy that is worshipped; "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"; "money was his god"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

juggernaut

[ˈdʒʌgənɔːt] N
1. (Brit) (= lorry) → camión m de gran tonelaje
2. (fig) (= large and powerful entity) → monstruo m
the group became a sales juggernautel grupo se convirtió en un monstruo en ventas
the juggernaut of tradition/religionla fuerza irresistible de la tradición/religión
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

juggernaut

[ˈdʒʌgərnɔːt] n (British) (= large truck) → gros poids m lourd
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

juggernaut

n
(Brit: = lorry) → Schwerlaster m
(Rel) JuggernautDschagannath m, → Jagannath m
(fig: = destructive force) → verheerende Gewalt; a media juggernautein Medienkonglomerat nt; the military juggernautder Militärapparat; the juggernaut of British governmentdie unaufhaltsame britische Regierungsmaschinerie; Puritanism, like some huge juggernaut, swept across the countryder Puritanismus rollte mit unaufhaltsamer Gewalt über das Land
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

juggernaut

[ˈdʒʌgəˌnɔːt] n (Brit) (lorry) → bisonte m della strada
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
Am I a Gump, or am I a juggernaut?" The creature, as it spoke, wiggled its chin whiskers in a very comical manner.
"They belong to the Juggernaut here which is called society.
It wasn't like a man; it was like some damned Juggernaut. I gave a few halloa, took to my heels, collared my gentleman, and brought him back to where there was already quite a group about the screaming child.
A group of old fakirs were capering and making a wild ado round the statue; these were striped with ochre, and covered with cuts whence their blood issued drop by drop--stupid fanatics, who, in the great Indian ceremonies, still throw themselves under the wheels of Juggernaut. Some Brahmins, clad in all the sumptuousness of Oriental apparel, and leading a woman who faltered at every step, followed.
"I can hardly tell you what then; the conclusion to be drawn as to your character depends upon the nature of the motives which guide your conduct; if you are patient because you expect to make something eventually out of Crimsworth, notwithstanding his tyranny, or perhaps by means of it, you are what the world calls an interested and mercenary, but may be a very wise fellow; if you are patient because you think it a duty to meet insult with submission, you are an essential sap, and in no shape the man for my money; if you are patient because your nature is phlegmatic, flat, inexcitable, and that you cannot get up to the pitch of resistance, why, God made you to be crushed; and lie down by all means, and lie flat, and let Juggernaut ride well over you."
It touched the ground just as it struck among them and mowed through them, a veritable juggernaut of destruction.
A real man, who cared for adventure and beauty, who desired to live decently and pay his way, who could have travelled more gloriously through life than the Juggernaut car that was crushing him.
Or had the strain been too great for him, and had he meekly surrendered to the juggernaut of the established?
With the voice of those, whoever and wherever they may be, who are caught beneath the wheels of the Juggernaut of Greed!
From the tangled forest came the sound of cracking limbs and crashing trunks--Tantor was coming down upon them, a huge Juggernaut of the jungle.
Summary: Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] July 12(ANI/NewsVoir): Juggernaut is extremely proud to announce that Twinkle's Pyjamas are Forgiving has sold over 100K copies, according to the Nielson BookScan, the country's most authoritative sales chart, which includes the sales data of Amazon and Flipkart and other major book chain stores.
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