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Phaëthon

[fey-uh-thuh n, -thon]
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noun Classical Mythology.
  1. a son of Helios who borrowed the chariot of the sun and drove it so close to earth that Zeus struck him down to save the world.

Origin of Phaëthon

< Greek Phaéthōn, special use of present participle of phaéthein to shine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for phaethon

Historical Examples

  • As soon as might be, Phaethon set out for the country of sunrise.

    Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew

    Josephine Preston Peabody

  • But Phaethon held to his choice and bade his father farewell.

    Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew

    Josephine Preston Peabody

  • In vain did Phaethon call to the horses and pull upon the reins.

    Old Greek Folk Stories Told Anew

    Josephine Preston Peabody

  • And Phaethon heard the words, and his heart was filled with an evil pride.

  • Tapping Phaethon's back with her guide-book, she said, "Silenzio!"

    A Room With A View

    E. M. Forster

British Dictionary definitions for phaethon

Phaethon

noun
  1. an asteroid (6.9 km in diameter) that has an orbit approaching close to the sun and releases fragments of dust that enter the earth's atmosphere as meteors

Phaëthon

noun
  1. Greek myth the son of Helios (the sun god) who borrowed his father's chariot and nearly set the earth on fire by approaching too close to it. Zeus averted the catastrophe by striking him down with a thunderbolt
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012