hero

Etymology

From Middle English heroes, from Old French heroes, from Latin hērōs (“hero”), from Ancient Greek ἥρως (hḗrōs, “demi-god, hero”), from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to watch over, protect”). Related to Latin servo (“protect”). Displaced Middle English heleð, haleð, from Old English hæle.

noun

1. Somebody who possesses great bravery and carries out extraordinary or noble deeds.
   "I'm no hero," insists freckle-faced 14-year-old Freddie Hanberry. But to many of the young cancer patients, nurses and staff at University Medical Center here, he is as close as you can get. The "hero" talk began when a national magazine featured Hanberry, who has leukemia, in a special section called "100 New American Heroes." August 10, 1986, “Cancer victim some kind of hero”, in The Advocate, Baton Rouge, LA
   Every cancer victim is a true hero. 1993, Susanne Baxandall, Prasuna Reddy, The Courage to Care: The Impact of Cancer on the Family
   She is my hero, my heart, my baby till the end of time,” said Gabby's father September 12, 2011, Eileen Faust, “5-year-old Phoenixville cancer victim loses fight”, in The Mercury
   Each flag represents a hero, Andrews said, whether a first responder or victim of 9/11, active, fallen, or retired military, special friend or family member. September 12, 2011, Jen Armstrong, “Sherrill honors heroes of 9/11”, in Oneida Dispatch
   At the time, with the D-Day invasion of Europe going on, their heroism was hardly noticed. Plenty of other heroes were dying elsewhere. Plenty of bigger bits of history were being made. January 12 2022, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 1948, page 43
2. A role model.
3. The protagonist in a work of fiction.
   However, even this great hero of the story is somewhat of a simpleton (when he lets himself be crucially deceived by Peacock Ravana in Vibhisana's shape), and a weakling (when in spite of all his strength he is almost beaten by his own son, one of the rākṣasas) 1987, Kamil Zvelebil, Two Tamil Folktales: The Story of King Matan̲akāma, The Story of Peacock Rāvaṇa, page xlii
   Satan is wrongly called the hero of Paradise Lost. He is really the villain-hero or the counter-hero 1992, Karuna Shanker Mishra, The Tragic Hero Through the Ages, page 242
4. (poker) The current player, especially an hypothetical player for example and didactic purposes. Compare: villain (“any opponent player”). Not to be confused with hero call (“a weak call against a supposed bluff”).
   Let's discuss how to play if the hero has KK, and there's an ace on board.
5. (US) A large sandwich made from meats and cheeses; a hero sandwich.
6. (film, photography, chiefly attributive) The product chosen from several candidates to be photographed, as in food advertising, or with props used in a movie.
   The preparation of the hero food involves any number of specialized techniques food stylists have developed to deal with the demands of photographing food. 2003, Solomon H. Katz, William Woys Weaver, Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
   Protect the hero food. Whether the hero items are on a table in the studio or in the refrigerator, freezer, etc., be sure they are identified as hero items and not for consumption. 2008, Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee, Brad G. Rogers, Food Styling for Photographers, page 8
   The food stylists this day had spent inordinate amounts of time preparing the hero product for a close-up scene. 2008, David Random, Defying Gravity, page 24
7. (web design) The eye-catching top portion of a web page, sometimes including a hero image; the portion above the fold.