ˈeˌräs, ˈiˌ-, ˈēˌ-, ˈāˌ-; ˈirəs noun
( -es ; see sense 1 )
Etymology: Greek erōs sexual love; akin to Greek erasthai to love, desire ardently
1. plural also ero·tes ə̇ˈrōˌtēz, ēˈr-, eˈr- usually capitalized
[from Eros, Greek god of love, from Greek Erōs, from erōs sexual love]
: cherub 3, cupid
2.
a. usually capitalized : the aggregate of pleasure-directed life instincts whose energy is derived from libido — contrasted with Thanatos
b. often capitalized : aspiring self-fulfilling love often having a sensuous quality : desire , yearning
animated by the true scientific eros … for the task of scientific investigation — C.S.Peirce
eros … calculates its relations to others from the standpoint of its own need of others — Reinhold Niebuhr
— compare agape