Charon

American  

[kair-uhn, kar-] / ˈkɛər ən, ˈkær- /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. the ferryman who conveyed the souls of the dead across the Styx.

2. (usually used ironically) any ferryman.

3. Astronomy. the natural satellite of Pluto, discovered in 1978.

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Charon ¹ British  

/ ˈkɛərən /

noun

1. Greek myth the ferryman who brought the dead across the rivers Styx or Acheron to Hades

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Charon ² British  

/ ˈkɛərən /

noun

1. the only known satellite of Pluto, discovered in 1978

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Charon Scientific  

/ kâr′ən /

1. The largest of Pluto's three moons. Charon is just over half Pluto's size and orbits it so closely that it was not discovered as a distinct body until 1978. Although Pluto is covered with methane ice, Charon appears to be covered with water ice.

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Charon Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, the boatman who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx and into Hades, the underworld.

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Other Word Forms

• Charonian adjective
• Charonic adjective

Example Sentences

A subtle reference to Serra’s father, a pipe fitter at a shipyard near San Francisco, it also puts us in mind of Charon’s ferry, shuttling souls across Stygian waters.

From The Wall Street Journal

Kentridge likens the captain to the ferryman, Charon, in Greek mythology transporting the dead across the river Styx to the underworld.

From Los Angeles Times

Because Charon is just over half the size of Pluto, the two bodies then began orbiting each other in a cosmic dance in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune’s orbit.

From Salon

Eris and Makemake are comparable in size to Pluto and its moon Charon.

From Science Daily

An anticyclone nicknamed Charon - who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead - could cause Europe to break its highest recorded temperature of 48.8C, possibly on the Italian island of Sardinia.

From Reuters