psychopomp

[ sahy-koh-pomp ]

/ ˈsaɪ koʊˌpɒmp /

noun

a person who conducts spirits or souls to the other world, as Hermes or Charon.

Nearby words

psychophysicist, psychophysics, psychophysiologic disorder, psychophysiological, psychophysiology, psychopomp, psychoprophylaxis, psychosensory, psychosexual, psychosexual development, psychosexual dysfunction

Origin of psychopomp

First recorded in 1860–65, psychopomp is from the Greek word psȳchopompós conductor of souls. See psycho-, pomp

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for psychopomp

Hermes himself, the Psychopomp, shall lead, and Malahide shall welcome us.
Day and Night Stories|Algernon Blackwood
As the souls of the departed are symbolized as rats, so is the psychopomp himself often figured as a dog.
Myths and Myth-Makers|John Fiske
The rle of general conductor of souls to the realms of the underworld, however, came to be given to Hermes, the psychopomp.
Elements of Folk Psychology|Wilhelm Wundt

Word Origin and History for psychopomp

psychopomp

1835, from Greek psykhopompos "spirit-guide," a term applied to Charon, Hermes Trismegistos, Apollo; from psykhe (see psyche) + pompos "guide, conductor."