From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Apotheosis \Ap`o*the"o*sis\ ([a^]p`[-o]*th[=e]"[-o]*s[i^]s;
277), n. pl. Apotheoses ([a^]p`[-o]*th[=e]"[-o]*s[=e]z).
[L., fr. Gr. 'apoqe`wsis, fr. 'apoqewy^n to deify; 'apo` from
+ qewy^n to deify, qeo`s a god.]
1. The act of elevating a mortal to the rank of, and placing
him among, "the gods;" deification.
[1913 Webster]
2. Glorification; exaltation. "The apotheosis of chivalry."
--Prescott. "The noisy apotheosis of liberty and
machinery." --F. Harrison.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
apotheosis
n 1: model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no
equal [syn: ideal, paragon, nonpareil, saint,
apotheosis, nonesuch, nonsuch]
2: the elevation of a person (as to the status of a god) [syn:
deification, exaltation, apotheosis]