Skip to main content
Dias

Dias

1 5.6
A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and opened a sea route to Asia
  • proper noun
  • /ˈdiːəs/
: Dias
  • 1488, Bartholomeu Dias reaches the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.

Examples

  • In 1488, Dias was the first European to round the Cape of Good Hope, opening a new sea route.

  • Bartolomeu Dias dramatically changed maritime trade by discovering the route to the Indian Ocean.

  • Captain Bartolomeo Dias succeeded Clo as Portugal's most celebrated explorer for a brief period of time.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The achievements of Dias paved the way for future explorations by other Portuguese navigators.

Synonyms

1 7.9

A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, opening a sea route to Asia

is the identical reference in both meaning and spelling
1 7.9

A Portuguese sailor who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and opened a sea route to Asia

is the same reference but with a different given name spelling
1 8.8

A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opening a sea route to Asia

is the same person but with different surname and given name spellings

Surface Forms

Dias main

Etymology

Dias is a Portuguese family name, like the Spanish Díaz, and it originally meant 'son of Diego'. So when you read about the explorer Dias, remember it is his family name passed down through generations.