demigod

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

demigod
    n 1: a person with great powers and abilities [syn: {demigod},
         {superman}, {Ubermensch}]
    2: a person who is part mortal and part god [syn: {daemon},
       {demigod}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Demigod \Dem"i*god\, n.
   A half god, or an inferior deity; a fabulous hero, the
   offspring of a deity and a mortal.
   [1913 Webster]

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

demigod
 n.

   A hacker with years of experience, a world-wide reputation, and a
   major role in the development of at least one design, tool, or game
   used by or known to more than half of the hacker community. To qualify
   as a genuine demigod, the person must recognizably identify with the
   hacker community and have helped shape it. Major demigods include Ken
   Thompson and Dennis Ritchie (co-inventors of {Unix} and {C}), Richard
   M. Stallman (inventor of {EMACS}), Larry Wall (inventor of {Perl}),
   Linus Torvalds (inventor of {Linux}), and most recently James Gosling
   (inventor of Java, {NeWS}, and {GOSMACS}) and Guido van Rossum
   (inventor of {Python}). In their hearts of hearts, most hackers dream
   of someday becoming demigods themselves, and more than one major
   software project has been driven to completion by the author's veiled
   hopes of apotheosis. See also {net.god}, {true-hacker}, {ubergeek}.
   Since 1995 or so this term has been gradually displaced by {ubergeek}.

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

demigod

   <person> A hacker with years of experience, a national
   reputation, and a major role in the development of at least
   one design, tool, or game used by or known to more than half
   of the hacker community.  To qualify as a genuine demigod, the
   person must recognisably identify with the hacker community
   and have helped shape it.  Major demigods include {Ken
   Thompson} and {Dennis Ritchie} (co-inventors of {Unix} and
   {C}) and {Richard Stallman} (inventor of {Emacs}).  In their
   hearts of hearts, most hackers dream of someday becoming
   demigods themselves, and more than one major software project
   has been driven to completion by the author's veiled hopes of
   apotheosis.

   See also {net.god}, {true-hacker}.

   [{Jargon File}]

   (1994-10-27)

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

33 Moby Thesaurus words for "demigod":
      Achilles, David, Hector, Roland, Samson, a man, brave, bulldog,
      chutzpanik, decorated hero, demigoddess, fighting cock, gallant,
      gamecock, god, goddess, godkin, godlet, godling, good soldier,
      hero, heroine, idol, lion, man of courage, paladin, phoenix,
      stalwart, superhuman, the brave, tiger, valiant, valiant knight