Samson
    n 1: (Old Testament) a judge of Israel who performed herculean
         feats of strength against the Philistines until he was
         betrayed to them by his mistress Delilah
    2: a large and strong and heavyset man; "he was a bull of a
       man"; "a thick-skinned bruiser ready to give as good as he
       got" [syn: bull, bruiser, strapper, Samson]

Samson \Sam"son\, n.
   An Israelite of Bible record (see --Judges xiii.),
   distinguished for his great strength; hence, a man of
   extraordinary physical strength.
   [1913 Webster]

   Samson post.
   (a) (Naut.) A strong post resting on the keelson, and
       supporting a beam of the deck; also, a temporary or
       movable pillar carrying a leading block or pulley for
       various purposes. --Brande & C.
   (b) In deep-well boring, the post which supports the walking
       beam of the apparatus.
       [1913 Webster]

Samson
   of the sun, the son of Manoah, born at Zorah. The narrative of
   his life is given in Judg. 13-16. He was a "Nazarite unto God"
   from his birth, the first Nazarite mentioned in Scripture (Judg.
   13:3-5; comp. Num. 6:1-21). The first recorded event of his life
   was his marriage with a Philistine woman of Timnath (Judg.
   14:1-5). Such a marriage was not forbidden by the law of Moses,
   as the Philistines did not form one of the seven doomed
   Canaanite nations (Ex. 34:11-16; Deut. 7:1-4). It was, however,
   an ill-assorted and unblessed marriage. His wife was soon taken
   from him and given "to his companion" (Judg. 14:20). For this
   Samson took revenge by burning the "standing corn of the
   Philistines" (15:1-8), who, in their turn, in revenge "burnt her
   and her father with fire." Her death he terribly avenged
   (15:7-19). During the twenty years following this he judged
   Israel; but we have no record of his life. Probably these twenty
   years may have been simultaneous with the last twenty years of
   Eli's life. After this we have an account of his exploits at
   Gaza (16:1-3), and of his infatuation for Delilah, and her
   treachery (16:4-20), and then of his melancholy death
   (16:21-31). He perished in the last terrible destruction he
   brought upon his enemies. "So the dead which he slew at his
   death were more [in social and political importance=the elite of
   the people] than they which he slew in his life."
   
     "Straining all his nerves, he bowed:
   
     As with the force of winds and waters pent,
   
     When mountains tremble, those two massy pillars
   
     With horrible convulsion to and fro
   
     He tugged, he shook, till down they came, and drew
   
     The whole roof after them, with burst of thunder
   
     Upon the heads of all who sat beneath,
   
     Lords, ladies, captains, counsellors, or priests,
   
     Their choice nobility and flower."
   
     Milton's Samson Agonistes.
   

Samson, his sun; his service; there the second time

Samson, AL -- U.S. city in Alabama
   Population (2000):    2071
   Housing Units (2000): 1016
   Land area (2000):     3.620157 sq. miles (9.376162 sq. km)
   Water area (2000):    0.005709 sq. miles (0.014787 sq. km)
   Total area (2000):    3.625866 sq. miles (9.390949 sq. km)
   FIPS code:            67800
   Located within:       Alabama (AL), FIPS 01
   Location:             31.112574 N, 86.047865 W
   ZIP Codes (1990):     36477
   Note: some ZIP codes may be omitted esp. for suburbs.
   Headwords:
    Samson, AL
    Samson