Argonaut

American  

[ahr-guh-nawt, -not] / ˈɑr gəˌnɔt, -ˌnɒt /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a member of the band of men who sailed to Colchis with Jason in the ship Argo in search of the Golden Fleece.

2. (sometimes lowercase) a person in quest of something dangerous but rewarding; adventurer.

3. a person who moved to California during the gold rush of 1849.

4. (lowercase) paper nautilus.

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Argonaut British  

/ ˈɑːɡəˌnɔːt /

noun

1. Greek myth one of the heroes who sailed with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece

2. a person who took part in the Californian gold rush of 1849

3. another name for the paper nautilus

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Argonautic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Argonaut

< Latin Argonauta < Greek Argonaútēs crewman of the ship Argo; see nautical

Explanation

An argonaut is someone who sets off on daring quest. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her friends are argonauts in search of a brain, a heart, courage, and home. The origin of argonaut is an ancient Greek myth about a group of heroes who embarked on a quest to find the sacred Golden Fleece. They were called the Argonauts, or "sailors of the Argo (ship)," from Argo, "the swift," and nautēs, "sailor." If you set off on an adventure in pursuit of a goal, riding your bike for miles to raise money for charity, or scuba diving in lakes seeking sunken treasure, you're an argonaut too.