Hero of Alexandria

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An ancient Greek mathematician and inventor from the first century

proper noun

: Hero de Alejandría

Hero of Alexandria is famous for his invention of the aeolipile, one of the earliest steam engines.

Examples

The mechanical devices described by Hero of Alexandria influenced engineers for centuries.
Many geometry students learn about Hero of Alexandria and his famous formula for the area of a triangle.
Hero of Alexandria invented a primitive steam engine known as the aeolipile.
The Hero of Alexandria invented the first steam engine.
Many students study the works of Hero of Alexandria in mathematics.
The contributions of Hero of Alexandria to geometry are taught in many mathematics courses.
Many modern mechanical systems are based on the principles described by Hero of Alexandria in his works.

Synonyms

Hero

vsHero of Alexandria

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A Greek mathematician and inventor from the first century who made a formula for triangle area and simple machines

is the broader celebrated ancient mathematician inventor known for geometry and mechanical work

Surface Forms

Hero of Alexandria main

Morphology

Hero + of + Alexandria

The phrase is compositionally interpretable as 'a hero from Alexandria' so a B1 learner who knows the words would grasp it denotes a person associated with Alexandria. However, the specific encyclopedic meaning — that this is the proper name of an ancient mathematician/inventor (Heron) — requires world knowledge and is not derivable from the parts, so the transparency is partial rather than full.

Etymology

Hero of Alexandria was a Greek engineer who lived in the city of Alexandria and built clever machines, including a small steam engine that spun when steam escaped. Because he also wrote simple rules for shapes, people remember him as a famous 'mathematician' and 'inventor'.