Hannibal

American

[han-uh-buhl] / ˈhæn ə bəl /

noun

247–183 b.c., Carthaginian general who crossed the Alps and invaded Italy (son of Hamilcar Barca).
a port in NE Missouri, on the Mississippi: Mark Twain's boyhood home.

Hannibal British

/ ˈhænɪbəl /

noun

247–182 _bc , Carthaginian general; son of Hamilcar Barca. He commanded the Carthaginian army in the Second Punic War (218–201). After capturing Sagunto in Spain, he invaded Italy (218), crossing the Alps with an army of about 40 000 men and defeating the Romans at Trasimene (217) and Cannae (216). In 203 he was recalled to defend Carthage and was defeated by Scipio at Zama (202). He was later forced into exile and committed suicide to avoid capture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Hannibal Cultural

A general from the ancient city of Carthage. During the second of the Punic Wars between Carthage and Rome, Hannibal took an army of more than 100,000, supported by elephants, from Spain into Italy in an effort to conquer Rome. The army had to cross the Alps, and this troop movement is still regarded as one of the greatest in history. Hannibal won several victories on this campaign but was not able to take Rome.

Compare meaning

How does hannibal compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Hannibal vs. Scipio

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For fans of “The Silence of the Lambs,” the connection between the so-called Dr. Salazar and Hannibal Lecter is uncannily similar.

From Los Angeles Times

"Hannibal will receive the full backing from the club and from the Burnley fans, who we have already seen condemning the abuse. There is no room for racism."

From BBC

Drawings of Hannibal's war against the Romans had long suggested that the beasts were used in fighting, but no hard evidence backed up the theories.

From BBC

Later Roman writers dressed up the Punic Wars as an ancestral vendetta of the Barcids, the family to which Hannibal belonged.

From The Wall Street Journal

I was so fortunate to work with him as a culinary consultant on “Hannibal.”

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023