Argonaut

[ ahr-guh-nawt, -not ]

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.

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

  2. (lowercase) paper nautilus.

Origin of Argonaut

1
<Latin Argonauta<Greek Argonaútēs crewman of the ship Argo; see nautical

Other words from Argonaut

  • Ar·go·nau·tic, adjective

Words Nearby Argonaut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Argonaut in a sentence

  • The first vessel adapted to these purposes was the “Argonaut,” built by Simon Lake in 1894.

  • We have not spoken of the Chancellor as an Argonaut, of the Chancellor as a colonizer.

    The Arena | Various
  • I again had the pleasure of feeling that in this, as in other enterprises, I was an Argonaut and a pioneer.

  • The Argonaut, or paper-nautilus, must be carefully distinguished from the pearly-nautilus or nautilus proper (Nautilus Pompilius).

  • He engaged a room on the fourth floor of the Argonaut, from which he was able to observe the coming and going of the enemy.

    The Pirate of Panama | William MacLeod Raine

British Dictionary definitions for Argonaut

Argonaut

/ (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

  1. another name for the paper nautilus

Origin of Argonaut

1
C16: from Greek Argonautēs, from Argō the name of Jason's ship + nautēs sailor

Derived forms of Argonaut

  • Argonautic, adjective

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