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Charon
//ˈkɛəɹən// name, noun
Definitions
Proper Noun
- 1 The ferryman of Hades, who rowed the shades of the dead across the river Styx. Greek
- 2 The largest of the five moons of Pluto.
Noun
- 1 Any ferryman. poetic
- 2 (Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades wordnet
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Ancient Greek Χάρων (Khárōn). The name of the moon was coined by American astronomer James W. Christy in 1978, in reference to a fictional moon of Pluto in a novel by Edmond Hamilton but also influenced by its similarity to Char, a pet name for Charlene, his wife's name — hence the alternative American pronunciation, which is used at NASA.
Etymology 2
From Ancient Greek Χάρων (Khárōn). The name of the moon was coined by American astronomer James W. Christy in 1978, in reference to a fictional moon of Pluto in a novel by Edmond Hamilton but also influenced by its similarity to Char, a pet name for Charlene, his wife's name — hence the alternative American pronunciation, which is used at NASA.
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