Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various local fertility and nature gods of the ancient Semitic peoples considered to be false gods by the Hebrews.
  • noun A false god or idol.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The name of a Semitic solar deity worshiped, especially by the Phenicians and their descendants the Carthaginians, with much license and sensuality.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Myth.) The supreme male divinity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish nations.
  • noun The whole class of divinities to whom the name Baal was applied.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • proper noun mythology the supreme male deity of the Phoenician and Canaanitish pantheons; a Mediterranean fertility deity, worshipped as far back as 1400 BCE
  • proper noun biblical, plural the whole class of divinities to whom the name Baal was applied.
  • proper noun biblical one of the fallen angels of Satan.
  • proper noun a false deity or idol.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples; the Hebrews considered Baal a false god

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Hebrew ba‘al, lord, Baal; see bעl in Semitic roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From the Hebrew בעל (ba‘al, "lord, master, owner"), from Proto-Semitic *baʿl- (“lord, master, owner”).

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Examples

  • Richard Watson, in his Biblical and Theological Dictionary, page 116, after speaking of the general use of the term Baal among the Babylonians and Assyrians, the Phoenicians, Sidonians, Tyrians, Carthaginians, and other Canaanitish nations, says:

    Sketch of the Early History of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church with Jubilee Souvenir and an Appendix James Walker 1914

  • The title Baal-berit [1129] has been interpreted as meaning "lord of a covenant" -- that is, a deity presiding over treaties; but the expression is not clear.

    Introduction to the History of Religions Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume IV Crawford Howell Toy 1877

  • The rest of the world, especially of the eastern, nations, fell into the worshipping of the sun, which they called Baal, and Moloch, and Chemosh, -- all names of the sun; and the worship of the moon, which they called Ashtaroth and the queen of heaven; but the idolatry of Babylon was by graven images and idols.

    The Sermons of John Owen 1616-1683 1968

  • Canaan the title Baal), and its special appropriation by the god of

    Introduction to the History of Religions Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume IV Crawford Howell Toy 1877

  • There was a storm god in the northwest Semitic orbit he was known as Baal or Hadad, an impetuous, sometimes bellicose deity who wielded his weapons of thunder and lightning.

    In the Valley of the Shadow James L. Kugel 2011

  • There was a storm god in the northwest Semitic orbit he was known as Baal or Hadad, an impetuous, sometimes bellicose deity who wielded his weapons of thunder and lightning.

    In the Valley of the Shadow James L. Kugel 2011

  • There was a storm god in the northwest Semitic orbit he was known as Baal or Hadad, an impetuous, sometimes bellicose deity who wielded his weapons of thunder and lightning.

    In the Valley of the Shadow James L. Kugel 2011

  • There was a storm god in the northwest Semitic orbit he was known as Baal or Hadad, an impetuous, sometimes bellicose deity who wielded his weapons of thunder and lightning.

    In the Valley of the Shadow James L. Kugel 2011

  • They stood idly by and permitted the enemies of Israel to proclaim that an idol—one they called Baal—was the god that the people should worship.

    HAVE YOU SEEN MY COUNTRY LATELY? JERRY DOYLE 2010

  • Baal is from the Babylonian influence, and the Mrs. Grimston subsequently did her own Eve/Lilith and rebellious angel thing by leaving him and setting up the Angel Guides sub sect of New Age in America niqnaq says:

    essential reading 2008

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