halcyon
[hal-see-uh n]
- calm; peaceful; tranquil: halcyon weather.
- rich; wealthy; prosperous: halcyon times of peace.
- happy; joyful; carefree: halcyon days of youth.
- of or relating to the halcyon or kingfisher.
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- a mythical bird, usually identified with the kingfisher, said to breed about the time of the winter solstice in a nest floating on the sea, and to have the power of charming winds and waves into calmness.
- any of various kingfishers, especially of the genus Halcyon.
- (initial capital letter) Classical Mythology. Alcyone(def 2).
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Origin of halcyon
1350–1400; < Latin < Greek halkyṓn, pseudo-etymological variant of alkyṓn kingfisher; replacing Middle English alceon, alicion < Latin alcyōn < Greek
Synonyms
See more synonyms for halcyon on Thesaurus.com1. serene, placid, pacific, untroubled.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
halcyon
- peaceful, gentle, and calm
- happy and carefree
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- Greek myth a fabulous bird associated with the winter solstice
- a poetic name for the kingfisher
- halcyon days
- a fortnight of calm weather during the winter solstice
- a period of peace and happiness
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Word Origin
C14: from Latin alcyon, from Greek alkuōn kingfisher, of uncertain origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for halcyonic
halcyon
adj.
1540s, in halcyon dayes (Latin alcyonei dies, Greek alkyonides hemerai), 14 days of calm weather at the winter solstice, when a mythical bird (identified with the kingfisher) was said to breed in a nest floating on calm seas. From halcyon (n.), late 14c., from Latin halcyon, from Greek halkyon, variant (perhaps a misspelling) of alkyon "kingfisher," from hals "sea, salt" (see halo-) + kyon "conceiving," present participle of kyein "to conceive," literally "to swell," from PIE root *keue- "to swell." Identified in mythology with Halcyone, daughter of Aeolus, who when widowed threw herself into the sea and became a kingfisher.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper