Phlegethon

[ fleg-uh-thon, flej- ]

/ ˈflɛg əˌθɒn, ˈflɛdʒ- /

noun

Also called Pyriphlegethon. Classical Mythology. a river of fire, one of five rivers surrounding Hades.

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

QUIZZES

Discover The Influence Of Portuguese On English Via This Quiz!

We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?

Question 1 of 11

Which of the following bird names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?

owl

crow

piranha

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Phlegethon

< Latin < Greek, noun use of phlegéthōn blazing, present participle of phlegéthein to blaze. See phlegm

OTHER WORDS FROM Phlegethon

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for phlegethon

The Styx, the Cocytus, and the Phlegethon present their waves to your acceptance.
Munster Village|Mary Hamilton
Leaving him a prisoner on board the Phlegethon, we, with the floodtide pushed forward in pursuit of Seriff Sahib.
The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido|Henry Keppel
No Phlegethon with torrents of fire surrounding and shaking Byron's Hell.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 66, No. 407, September, 1849|Various
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

Onward he passed, over the flaming flood of Phlegethon, through the cloud-hung and adamantine portals of Tartarus.
Half a Hundred Hero Tales|Various

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