Avernus

[ uh-vur-nuhs ]

/ əˈvɜr nəs /

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noun

a lake near Naples, Italy, looked upon in ancient times as an entrance to hell, from whose waters vile-smelling vapors arose, supposedly killing birds flying over it.

hell.

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Origin of Avernus

<Latin <Greek áornos birdless, equivalent to a-a-⁶ + órn(is) bird + -os adj. suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM Avernus

A·ver·nal, adjective

How to use Avernus in a sentence

Decius followed, as he would have followed through the portals of Avernus.
The Lion's Brood|Duffield Osborne
I have not at this moment the remotest conception where the engine-room is, or where lies the descent to that Avernus.
America To-day, Observations and Reflections|William Archer
There was a volcanic lake near Cumae called Avernus, whose waters gave out sulphureous vapours.
The Aeneid of Virgil|Virgil
A vast iron cauldron with half the fires of Avernus beneath it is partly filled with water that soon boils furiously.
Sixes and Sevens|O. Henry

He was well out of Avernus and beginning to scale Olympus, and his mind reverted to the earlier and happier part of the evening.
The Silver Butterfly|Mrs. Wilson Woodrow