lord of the flies
English
Etymology
Calque of Biblical Hebrew בַּעַל זְבוּב (baʿal zəḇûḇ, “fly-lord, Beelzebub”), which in turn is a mistranslation of the name of the Semitic devil Baal-zevuv.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Noun
- Beelzebub; Satan
- (idiomatic, biblical) a ruler over a worthless kingdom; leader of a meaningless microcosm.
Usage notes
The phrase can also be used as an adjective to describe a situation where there is no government and crime is common. This usage is a reference to the book Lord of the Flies and is usually capitalized.