Phlegethon

[ fleg-uh-thon, flej- ]

/ ˈflɛg əˌθɒn, ˈflɛdʒ- /

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noun

Also called Pyr·i·phleg·e·thon

[pir-uh-fleg-uh-thon, -flej-] /ˌpɪr əˈflɛg əˌθɒn, -ˈflɛdʒ-/ .Classical Mythology. a river of fire, one of five rivers surrounding Hades.

(often lowercase) a stream of fire or fiery light.

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Origin of Phlegethon

First recorded in 1350–1400; late Middle English, from Latin, from Greek phlegéthōn “blazing, flaming,” noun use of present participle of phlegéthein “to blaze”; see origin at phlegm

OTHER WORDS FROM Phlegethon

Phleg·e·thon·tal, Phleg·e·thon·tic, adjective

Words nearby Phlegethon

phlebotomic, phlebotomist, phlebotomize, phlebotomus fever, phlebotomy, Phlegethon, phlegm, phlegmatic, phlegmy, Phlm., phloem

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Phlegethon in a sentence

The round and grape passed between the masts of the Phlegethon and beyond the Spiteful, without striking.
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves|W.H.G. Kingston
The guns having been pointed at the stakes, the Phlegethon immediately returned the compliment with rockets and her pivot-guns.
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves|W.H.G. Kingston
The gallant Captain Loch expired on board the Phlegethon about forty hours after he had received his wound.
How Britannia Came to Rule the Waves|W.H.G. Kingston
In the seventh circle, second round, it emerges as the red blood stream of Phlegethon.
Dante: "The Central Man of All the World"|John T. Slattery

I can not endure the humiliation that has for some days past made this house more intolerable than I may one day find Phlegethon.
Vashti|Augusta J. Evans Wilson

British Dictionary definitions for Phlegethon

Phlegethon

/ (ˈflɛɡɪˌθɒn) /

noun

Greek myth a river of fire in Hades

Word Origin for Phlegethon

C14: from Greek, literally: blazing, from phlegethein to flame, blaze

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012