Halcyon

From Fresh Dictionary

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1 English
2 Latin

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English

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Etymology

Latin halcyon, alcyon, from Greek á¼Î»ÎºÏÏÎ½ (sometimes á¼Î»ÎºÏÏÎ½, misinterpreted as representing á¼Î»Ï âseaâ + ÎºÏÏÎ½ âconceivingâ), cognate with Latin alcedo âkingfisherâ.

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Pronunciation

IPA: /'hÃ¦lsÉªÉn/
Image:Loudspeaker.png Audio (US)^{?, file}

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Noun

Singular
halcyon

Plural
halcyons

in classical legends, a bird said to nest on the sea and to calm the waters to make this possible.
- undated â John Dryden, (source?)
  Amidst our arms as quiet you shall be As halcyons brooding on a winter sea.
(poetic) a kingfisher
- c.1880 â Ambrose Bierce, On a Mountain
  And, by the way, during those halcyon days (the halcyon was there, too, chattering above every creek, as he is all over the world) we fought another battle.
(ZoÃ¶logy): A tropical kingfisher of the genus Halcyon, such as the sacred kingfisher Halcyon sancta of Australia.

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Translations

kingfisher

Spanish: alcedÃ³n, alciÃ³n

bird of genus Halcyon

Spanish: alcedÃ³n

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Adjective

Positive
halcyon

Comparative
more halcyon

Superlative
most halcyon

Pertaining to the halcyon or kingfisher
Calm, undisturbed, peaceful, serene.

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Quotations

				1787		1919
ME: [[{{{enm}}}]] Â«	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

1787 â Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers No. 30
Reflections of this kind may have trifling weight with men who hope to see realized in America the halcyon scenes of the poetic or fabulous age.
(undated)â Thomas de Quincey, (source?)
- Deep, halcyon repose.
1919 â H.P. Lovecraft, The City
I had wanderâd in rapture beneath them, and baskâd in the Halcyon clime.