Ariel

See also: ariel

English

Alternative forms

• Arielle (for female name only)

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew אֲרִיאֵל‎ (ari'él, literally “lion of God”), a compound of אֲרִי‎ (arí, “lion”) and אֵל‎ (él, “God”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛəriəl

Proper noun

Ariel

1. (biblical) A name for the city of Jerusalem.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Isaiah 29:1:
     :

     Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

2. A male given name, also ascribed to spirits and angels in English literature.
   • 1611, Bible (King James Version), Ezra 8:16:
     :

     Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.

   • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:
     :Scene ii:

     All hail, great master! grave sir, hail! I come / To answer thy best pleasure; be't to fly, / To swim, to dive into the fire, to ride / On the curl'd clouds; to thy strong bidding task / Ariel and all his quality.

   • 1667 John Milton, Paradise Lost/Book VI:

     Nor stood unmindful Abdiel to annoy / The Atheist crew, but with redoubl’d blow / Ariel and Arioc, and the violence / Of Ramiel scorcht and blasted overthrew.

   • 1714 Alexander Pope, The Rape of the Lock:

     Of these am I, who thy Protection claim, / A watchful Sprite, and Ariel is my Name.

   • 1979 Phyllis Chesler, With Child, Crowell, →ISBN, page 121:

     You don't look like a Daniel (your pre-chosen name). There's something fierce and tawny about you. You're the Lion! You're Ariel: God's Lion. You'll be my father Leon's namesake — and for your father, you'll have a Hebrew name.

     I dub thee Ariel, faery spirit of my tempest. You'll be my Jerusalem...

3. A female given name, used mainly since the 1980s.
   • 1992 Kristina Logan, The Right Man for Loving, Thorndike Press, →ISBN, page 190:

     "I'm going to name her Ariel," Laura said, ignoring them completely as she stared down at the baby. "The boys like the name because it's the same as the girl in the Little Mermaid movie. And I like it, because it's pretty."

4. (astronomy) Name of the twelfth and brightest moon of the planet Uranus.

Derived terms

• Arielian

Translations

name

• Italian: Ariele (it) m
• Portuguese: Ariel (pt) m

• Russian: Ариэ́ль (ru) f (Ariélʹ)

moon of Uranus

• French: Ariel (fr)
• German: Ariel m
• Italian: Ariele (it) m

• Portuguese: Ariel (pt) f
• Russian: Ариэ́ль (ru) f (Ariélʹ)
• Spanish: Ariel (es)

Anagrams

• Alire, Liera, ailer, lirae, raile

---

Portuguese

Proper noun

Ariel m

1. A male given name, equivalent to English Ariel

Proper noun

Ariel f

1. (astronomy) Ariel (moon of Uranus)
2. Ariel (a city in the West Bank)
3. A female given name, equivalent to English Ariel

---

Spanish

Proper noun

Ariel m

1. A male given name of biblical origin.