Erebus

American  

[er-uh-buhs] / ˈɛr ə bəs /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. the darkness under the earth, imagined either as the abode of sinners after death or of all the dead.

2. Mount, a volcano in Antarctica, on Ross Island. 13,202 feet (4,024 meters).

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Erebus ¹ British  

/ ˈɛrɪbəs /

noun

1. the god of darkness, son of Chaos and brother of Night

2. the darkness below the earth, thought to be the abode of the dead or the region they pass through on their way to Hades

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Erebus ² British  

/ ˈɛrɪbəs /

noun

1. a volcano in Antarctica, on Ross Island: discovered by Sir James Ross in 1841 and named after his ship. Height: 3794 m (12 448 ft)

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Etymology

Origin of Erebus

< Latin < Greek Érebos; cognate with Armenian erek evening, Sanskrit rájas darkness, Gothic riquis darkness

Example Sentences

The Erebus wind farm off the Pembrokeshire coast would be able to produce 96MW - enough to power about 90,000 homes.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2026

Aster hopes the new seismic stations will reveal why the lava lake can shift from agitation to years of quiet and why, in earlier times, Erebus erupted more violently.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 2, 2024

Shero’s team, for example, requires a helicopter or snowmobiles for a daily commute from McMurdo over the frozen Ross Sea to the foot of snow-covered Mount Erebus, an active volcano.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 13, 2023

HMS Erebus and HMS Terror became trapped in ice floes in September 1846 and were deserted the following April.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2023

Amazingly, it was the only written message from anyone on the Erebus or the Terror ever discovered.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler