Definition of "genii"

plural of genius

1. (Roman mythology) Guardian spirits.  quotations

   Quotations

   • On the 11th Century glass bowl above, the painted figures—winged genii, nude athletes and brawny soldiers—resemble mythological characters but may be only lighthearted mimicry of ancient Greek or Roman subjects.

     1980, Colin Thubron, Seafarers: The Venetians, page 40

2. Any similar beings of other mythologies.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • "According to the old wives' tales that are related about this race of genii who inhabit Iceland and its vicinity, they have a political form of government modelled after the same pattern as that which the inhabitants themselves are under.

     1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 253

3. (rare, humorous) People possessing extraordinary intelligence or skill.  quotations

   Quotations

   • Quiz kids of Senior Class announced today. Jack Daniels, Valedictorian; Mary Lou Shaw, Salutatorian; Irvin Nachman, Third Honor Student; Boots Cumming, Highest Average, and Janet Davis, Second Highest Average. Just a bunch of genii that’s all.

     1945 February, “Calendar”, in Mary Lou Shaw, Shirley Boulds, editors, The Anchor of February 1945, Newport News, Va.: Newport News High School

   • It aint oftin that you’s git a more better group of genii as was collected this year at good old Melrose High. To the credit of they, it can be said them didn’t do nothin’.

     1973, “Honor Society”, in Kathie Ahern et al., editors, Log, Melrose, Mass.: Melrose High School, page 54

   • As Hutchinson saw it, his role was always “that of a student trying to learn quietly and unobtrusively from this extraordinary group of genii. G.B. and M.M. [Gregory Bateson and Margaret Mead] were of course close personal friends. Wiener liked to hear about any branch of science. […]”

     1980 October 14, G[eorge] Evelyn Hutchinson, letter to Sharon Kingsland (Hutchinson Papers, MSSA, Yale University Library); quoted in Nancy G[uttmann] Slack, “Good Friends: Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson”, in G. Evelyn Hutchinson and the Invention of Modern Ecology, New Haven, Conn., London: Yale University Press, 2010, page 237

   • As far as we’re concerned, having our piece of this country’s rich literary history is our birthright. As such, we have a list of literary demands. Because we are genii, we expect this won’t be a problem.

     2015, Tara Flynn, “L is for … Literature”, in Giving Out Yards: The Art of Complaint, Irish Style, Dublin: Hachette Books Ireland, published 2016, page 160

plural of genie  quotations  examples