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• Phaëthon
  Phaëthon

  noun

  a son of Helios who borrowed the chariot of the sun and drove it so close to earth that Zeus struck him down to save the world.
• Phaethon
  Phaethon

  noun

  an asteroid (6.9 km in diameter) that has an orbit approaching close to the sun and releases fragments of dust that enter the earth's atmosphere as meteors

Phaëthon

American  

[fey-uh-thuhn, -thon] / ˈfeɪ ə θən, -ˌθɒn /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a son of Helios who borrowed the chariot of the sun and drove it so close to earth that Zeus struck him down to save the world.

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Phaethon ¹ British  

/ ˈfeɪəθən /

noun

1. an asteroid (6.9 km in diameter) that has an orbit approaching close to the sun and releases fragments of dust that enter the earth's atmosphere as meteors

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Phaëthon ² British  

/ ˈfeɪəθən /

noun

1. Greek myth the son of Helios (the sun god) who borrowed his father's chariot and nearly set the earth on fire by approaching too close to it. Zeus averted the catastrophe by striking him down with a thunderbolt

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Etymology

Origin of Phaëthon

< Greek Phaéthōn, special use of present participle of phaéthein to shine

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Phaëthon Phaethon

Phaëthon all on fire fell from the car through the air to the earth.

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

In the car Phaëthon, hardly keeping his place there, was wrapped in thick smoke and heat as if from a fiery furnace.

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

For a few ecstatic moments Phaëthon felt himself the Lord of the Sky.

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

Here Phaëthon lies who drove the Sun-god’s car.

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

Proudly and joyously Phaëthon mounted it and they were off.

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

One of the best known active asteroids is 3200 Phaethon, the source of the Geminid meteor shower that peaks every December.

From Science Daily ● May 14, 2026

The debris causing the Geminids, an annual event, originated from an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, according to NASA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024

But the Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023

Meteor showers are typically caused by a comet, but the Geminids are celestial debris left behind by a rocky asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2023

Cycnus, the faithful friend of the unhappy Phaethon, felt such overwhelming grief at his terrible fate, that he pined and wasted away.

From Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome by Berens, E.M.