hero

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
hero/ˈhɪərəʊ/

▶noun (pl. heroes)

• 1 a person, typically a man, who is admired for their courage or outstanding achievements.

  ■ (in mythology and folklore) a person of superhuman qualities, in particular one of those whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek legends.

• 2 the chief male character in a book, play, or film.

• 3 (also hero sandwich) N. Amer. another term for hoagie.

– derivatives
heroism noun,
heroize (or heroise) verb.

– origin ME: via L. from Gk hērōs.