idol
UK[ˈaɪdl]US[ˈaɪdl]
n
An image or representation of a god used as an object of worship.
n
A person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.
Etymology
The word 'idol' originates from the Greek 'eidōlon', meaning 'image, form, phantom'. This term was derived from 'eidos', signifying 'that which is seen, form, shape', which itself traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root weid- 'to see'. The word entered Latin as 'īdōlum', carrying the sense of a mental image, a phantom, or a false god. It was adopted into Old French as 'idole' before arriving in Middle English, where its meaning solidified around the concept of a physical image worshipped as a deity, later extending metaphorically to any object of excessive devotion or admiration.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Greek via Latin and Old French. Its spelling and form have been preserved as a single unit in English.
Examples
The ancient temple housed a large wooden idol.
As a teenager, he was my idol, and I had posters of him all over my wall.
She warned against making an idol out of material wealth.