Pronunciation: (ēr'os, er'os), [key]
—pl. E•ro•tesPronunciation: (u-rō'tēz) [key] for 2, 3.
1. the ancient Greek god of love, identified by the Romans with Cupid.
2. a representation of this god.
3. a winged figure of a child representing love or the power of love.
4. (sometimes l.c.) physical love; sexual desire. Cf. agape2 (def. 2).
5. Astron.an asteroid that approaches to within 14 million miles (22½ million km) of the earth once every 44 years.
a. the libido.
b. instincts for self-preservation collectively.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.