Definitions for JANUS
ˈdʒeɪ nəsjanus

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janusnoun

   (Roman mythology) the Roman god of doorways and passages; is depicted with two faces on opposite sides of his head

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janusnoun

   The god of gates and doorways; having two faces looking in opposite directions.

2. Janusnoun

   A moon of Saturn.

3. Etymology: From Ianus.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janus

   In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( JAY-nəs; Latin: Ianvs [ˈi̯aːnʊs]) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (Ianuarius). According to ancient Roman farmers' almanacs, Juno was mistaken as the tutelary deity of the month of January, but Juno is the tutelary deity of the month of June. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The gates of a building in Rome named after him (not a temple, as it is often called, but an open enclosure with gates at each end) were opened in time of war, and closed to mark the arrival of peace. As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange, and in his association with Portunus, a similar harbor and gateway god, he was concerned with travelling, trading and shipping. Janus had no flamen or specialised priest (sacerdos) assigned to him, but the King of the Sacred Rites (rex sacrorum) himself carried out his ceremonies. Janus had a ubiquitous presence in religious ceremonies throughout the year. As such, Janus was ritually invoked at the beginning of each ceremony, regardless of the main deity honored on any particular occasion.While the ancient Greeks had no known equivalent to Janus, there is considerate overlap with Culśanś of the Etruscan pantheon.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janusnoun

   a Latin deity represented with two faces looking in opposite directions. Numa is said to have dedicated to Janus the covered passage at Rome, near the Forum, which is usually called the Temple of Janus. This passage was open in war and closed in peace

2. Etymology: [L. See January.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janus

   In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, passages, endings and time. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. The Romans named the month of January in his honor. Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict, and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in time of war, and closed to mark the peace. As a god of transitions, he had functions pertaining to birth and to journeys and exchange, and in his association with Portunus, a similar harbor and gateway god, he was concerned with travelling, trading and shipping. Janus had no flamen or specialized priest assigned to him, but the King of the Sacred Rites himself carried out his ceremonies. Janus had an ubiquitous presence in religious ceremonies throughout the year, and was ritually invoked at the beginning of each one, regardless of the main deity honored on any particular occasion. The ancient Greeks had no equivalent to Janus, whom the Romans claimed as distinctively their own. Modern scholars, however, have identified analogous figures in the pantheons of the Near East. His name in Greek is 'Ιανός.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. janus

   Song lyrics by janus -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by janus on the Lyrics.com website.

MythologyRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Janus

   (Ja′nus). A king of Italy, said to have been the son of Coelus, others say of Apollo; he sheltered Saturn when he was driven from heaven by Jupiter. Janus presided over highways, gates, and locks, and is usually represented with two faces, because he was acquainted with the past and the future; or, according to others, because he was taken for the sun, who opens the day at his rising, and shuts it at his setting. A brazen temple was erected to him in Rome, which was always open in time of war, and closed during peace.

   “Old Janus, if you please, Grave two-faced father.”

   “In two-faced Janus we this moral find,— While we look forward, we should glance behind.” (Colman.)

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. JANUS

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Janus is ranked #13903 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Janus surname appeared 2,172 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Janus.
   
   92% or 2,000 total occurrences were White.
   2.6% or 58 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   1.8% or 41 total occurrences were Black.
   1.5% or 33 total occurrences were of two or more races.
   1.4% or 31 total occurrences were Asian.
   0.4% or 9 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Matched Categories

1. • Roman Deity
   • Roman Mythology

How to pronounce JANUS?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say JANUS in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of JANUS in Chaldean Numerology is: 7

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of JANUS in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of JANUS in a Sentence

1. Frank Manzo:

   We think the Janus decision does little to nothing to solve the state's financial situation.

2. EKEATOR EMEKA:

   Live life like Janus, the two faced gods of the gate, look at past and at the same time the future. Not to remember past hurts and failures but to enable you get to the future

3. Robert Alt:

   The issue with regard to exclusive representation was not presented to the court in the Janus case, but the court three separate times expressed grave concerns about the constitutionality of those provisions.

4. Chief Executive Officer Brian Benari:

   We're looking from a longer-term perspective, we see this as building a relationship with Janus that could give rise to opportunities around product and distribution.

5. Todd Rosenbluth:

   Through May, the Janus fund declined in value this year, underperforming its peers and the Barclays Aggregate index, despite the strong brand name Bill Gross has with fixed-income investors, a fund with a short record that underperforms will face challenges gathering fresh assets.

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