1520–30; probably special use of Helicon, by association with helico-
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The pitch of the helicon is an octave below that of the euphonium.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various
"I loved the dark drop, the trapped sky, the smells / Of waterweed, fungus and dank moss," he recalled in Personal Helicon.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2013
In classical legend, Hippocrene, the fountain on Mount Helicon created by Pegasus's hoof, is sacred to the Muses and inspires whoever drinks from it.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 20, 2013
Peter Coleman-Wright was, contrary to the role, heroic not least in his efforts to sing above the orchestra, Yvonne Howard his silver-tongued wife, Christopher Ainslie the feckless slave, Helicon.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 2, 2012
To the north of the Gulf of Corinth, Mount Helicon slopes down into a broad valley that, in classical times, was the location of a sanctuary devoted to the worship of the nine muses.
From New York Times ● Feb. 14, 2012
The highest mountains were the first to burn, Ida and Helicon, where the Muses dwell, Parnassus, and heaven-piercing Olympus.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
