Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • The ferryman of the dead in Greek mythology: Charon is the mythological figure who transports the souls of the deceased across the rivers Styx or Acheron to the underworld, Hades. Payment for the passage was traditionally a coin placed in the mouth of the dead.

Examples of Usage

• Proper noun:
  • In the myth, the hero had to persuade Charon to ferry him across the river Styx.
  • Ancient Greeks placed a coin, called an obol, with the dead as payment for Charon.

Advanced Usage

• "Charon's obol": The coin placed in or on the mouth of a dead person as payment for Charon.
  • Archaeologists found a silver coin, likely a Charon's obol, in the ancient burial site.
• "Charon's ferry": A poetic or literary reference to the boat or the act of crossing into the underworld.
  • The poet described the journey on Charon's ferry as a passage into eternal silence.

Variants and Related Words

• Charonic (adj): Pertaining to or resembling Charon or his ferry.
  • The scene had a Charonic gloom, suggesting a journey to the afterlife.

Synonyms

• Ferryman of the dead: A descriptive synonym.
• Psychopomp: A broader term for a guide of souls to the afterlife (Charon is a specific psychopomp).

Related Phrases

• To pay Charon: An idiomatic reference to providing payment for a final, inevitable passage.
  • He joked that the expensive toll was like having to pay Charon.

Related Idioms

• Charon's toll: Refers to a final, unavoidable fee or cost.
  • The inheritance tax felt like a modern Charon's toll.

Noun

1. (Greek mythology) the ferryman who brought the souls of the dead across the river Styx or the river Acheron to Hades