Bellerophon

American

[buh-ler-uh-fon] / bəˈlɛr əˌfɒn /

Also Bellerophontes

noun

Classical Mythology.

a Corinthian hero who, mounted on Pegasus, killed the Chimera.

Bellerophon British

/ bəˈlɛrəˌfɒn /

noun

Greek myth a hero of Corinth who performed many deeds with the help of the winged horse Pegasus, notably the killing of the monster Chimera

"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

Other Word Forms

Bellerophontic adjective

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.

Lieutenant William Norton-Taylor was a member of the crew of HMS Bellerophon, which brought the defeated Napoleon from France to Plymouth, the emperor’s last port of call before he was taken to St Helena.

From The Guardian • Jun. 9, 2015

In "Bellerophoniad," the domesticated archetype is Bellerophon, tamer of the winged horse, killer of the fire-breathing Chimera, conqueror of the Amazons and generally a favorite of the gods.

From Time Magazine Archive

Jacquemar, no Bellerophon, is unable to slay this particular Chimera.

From Time Magazine Archive

The infuriated god sent a hornet to sting Pegasus' flank, and Bellerophon, thrown from the horse's back, plummeted to earth.

From Time Magazine Archive

He asked the youth to take a letter to the King of Lycia in Asia and Bellerophon easily agreed.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023