Charon
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Charon
- /ˈkɛəɹɒn/ UK
- /ˈkɛːrən/ UK
- /ˈkɛəɹən/ US
- /ˈʃɛəɹɑn/ US
- /ˈkɛəɹɑn/ US
- /-ɹən/ US
Rhymes with -ɛəɹən, -ɛəɹɒn
Where it comes from
From Latin Charōn, 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.
proper noun
- The ferryman of Hades, who rowed the shades of the dead across the river Styx. The Ghoſts rejected, are th’ unhappy Crew Depriv’d of Sepulchers, and Fun’ral due. The Boatman, Charon; thoſe, the bury’d hoſt, He Ferries over to the Farther Coaſt.
-
The largest of the five moons of Pluto.
Last week Nasa released its highest resolution photos yet of the dwarf planet and its largest moon, Charon, revealing new mysteries that its spacecraft New Horizons had uncovered at the edge of the solar system.
Similar: ⯕
noun Charons
- Any ferryman.
Translations
Talk about this word "Charon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/charon. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Charon. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/charon "Charon." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/charon.Cite this
@misc{charon_2026,
title = {Charon},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/charon},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
