Phlegethon
Americannoun
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Also called Pyriphlegethon. Classical Mythology. a river of fire, one of five rivers surrounding Hades.
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(often lowercase) a stream of fire or fiery light.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Phlegethon
First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek phlegéthōn “blazing, flaming,” noun use of present participle of phlegéthein “to blaze”; see origin at phlegm
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To their right, the Phlegethon split into branches that etched the plain, widening into a delta of smoke and fire.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
“The Phlegethon keeps the wicked in one piece so that they can endure the torments of the Fields of Punishment. I think...it might be the Underworld equivalent of ambrosia and nectar.”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
He wished there was another option - a choice that didn’t hurt like the waters of the Phlegethon - but he couldn’t see one.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
Her fiery hair burned across her shoulders like a miniature Phlegethon waterfall.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
The fiery water of the Phlegethon may have healed her and given her strength, but it didn’t do anything for her hunger or thirst.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
