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This week's theme
Words derived from the names of mythical creatures. Previous words cerberus minotaur cyclopean  Halcyon (Credits: Wikipedia) 
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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu GarghalcyonPRONUNCIATION:
(HAL-see-uhn)
MEANING: adjective: Peaceful; carefree; prosperous. noun: Any of various kingfishers of the genus Halcyon. ETYMOLOGY: From Greek halkyon (kingfisher) via Latin and Middle English. Halcyon was a mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was said to breed around the winter solstice. It nested at sea and had the power to charm the wind and waves so that they became calm. USAGE: "In the halcyon days, the company's total workforce between the two plants topped 3,300 but the decline in those numbers has been ongoing for some considerable time." John Murphy; Concern Over Future of Plant; The Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); Mar 15, 2005. See more usage examples of halcyon in Vocabulary.com's dictionary. THOUGHT OF THE DAY: |
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