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Glossary of Mythology Terms
beginning with letter C
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caduceus Tweet Definition of caduceus Like Definition of caduceus on Facebook
noun 
  1. A symbol consisting of a staff with two snakes wrapped around it; symbol of medicine in America.
    (seeCites)
     
Calliope Tweet Definition of Calliope Like Definition of Calliope on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (context, Greek mythology) The Muse of eloquence and epic or heroic poetry; mother of Orpheus with Apollo.
     
Callisto Tweet Definition of Callisto Like Definition of Callisto on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (astronomy) A moon of Jupiter.
  2. (mythology) A nymph of Artemis.
     
Calypso Tweet Definition of Calypso Like Definition of Calypso on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (Greek mythology) A sea nymph who entertained Odysseus on her island, Ogygia, for seven years
  2. (astronomy) The eighth moon of Saturn
     
Camilla Tweet Definition of Camilla Like Definition of Camilla on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. A warrior Queen of the Volscians according to Virgil's Aeneid.
  2. (given name, female).
     
Cassandra Tweet Definition of Cassandra Like Definition of Cassandra on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (Greek mythology) Daughter of King http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priam Priam of Troy and his queen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hecuba Hecuba, who captured the eye of Apollo, Apollo and was granted the ability to see the future. However, she was destined to never be believed.
  2. (given name, female)
  3. Somebody who makes predictions which are never believed but turn out to be true.
  4. Somebody who makes predictions which are believed but turn out to be false. This "incorrect" meaning of the word is often used (in the UK at least) http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1676985,00.html.
     
Cassiopeia Tweet Definition of Cassiopeia Like Definition of Cassiopeia on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (greekmyth) Proud wife of Cepheus and mother of Andromeda, queen of Eritrea. When she boasted that her beauty was equal to that of the Nereids, she was punished by Poseidon.
  2. (constellation) A circumpolar constellation of the northern sky representing Queen Cassiopeia from Greek myth. The constellation lies between Cepheus and Perseus.
     
Centaur Tweet Definition of Centaur Like Definition of Centaur on Facebook
noun 
  1. (greekmyth) one of a race of monsters having a head, trunk, and arms of a man, and the body and legs of a horse.
  2. (astronomy) An icy planetoid that orbits the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune.
  3. a skillfull horseman or horsewoman.
  4. (Rocketry) a U.S. upper stage, with a restartable liquid-propellant engine, used with an Atlas or Titan booster to launch satellites and probes.
     
Cepheus Tweet Definition of Cepheus Like Definition of Cepheus on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (greekmyth) Husband of Cassiopeia, king of Eritrea, father of Andromeda. There may be two mythical kings by this name.
  2. (constellation) A circumpolar constellation of the northern sky representing the king Cepheus from Greek myth. The constellation lies between Draco and Cassiopeia.
     
Ceres Tweet Definition of Ceres Like Definition of Ceres on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (mythology) The Roman goddess of agriculture; equivalent to the Greek goddess Demeter.
  2. (astronomy) A celestial body orbitting between Mars and Jupiter; previously defined as an asteroid; now officially known as a dwarf planet; officially called 1 Ceres.
(wikipedia, 1 Ceres)      
chaos Tweet Definition of chaos Like Definition of chaos on Facebook
noun 
  1. A state of disorder.
  2. A force that seeks to spread disorder.
  3. (mathematics) Behaviour that appears random and yet is governed by exact mathematical equations and so is actually deterministic. Chaotic systems typically exhibit exquisite sensitivity to initial conditions.
  4. An unseen force or energy believed to drive the universe.
     
Charon Tweet Definition of Charon Like Definition of Charon on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (astronomy) The largest of three moons of Pluto. (Read more at w:Charon (moon), Wikipedia)
  2. (greekmyth) The ferryman of Hades. (Read more at w:Charon (mythology), Wikipedia)
     
Charybdis Tweet Definition of Charybdis Like Definition of Charybdis on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. A dangerous whirlpool on the coast of Sicily opposite Scylla on the Italian coast.
  2. In Greek mythology, a personification of the above whirlpool as a female monster.
     
chimera Tweet Definition of chimera Like Definition of chimera on Facebook
noun 
  1. (greekmyth) A mythical monster represented as vomiting flames, and as having the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a dragon.
  2. (genetics) An organism with genetically distinct cells originating from two zygotes.
  3. A vain, foolish, or incongruous fancy, or creature of the imagination; as, the chimera of an author.
  4. (architecture) A gargoyle that does not work as a waterspout.
     
chthonian Tweet Definition of chthonian Like Definition of chthonian on Facebook
adjective 
  1. Pertaining to the underworld; being beneath the earth.
    • 1955: ...I intend to apply the name to all gods and spirits of the earth, whether their functions are concerned with agriculture or with the grave and the world beyond, or (as often) with both. " W.K.C. Guthrie, The Greeks and Their Gods (Beacon Press 1955, p. 219)
     
Cimmerian Tweet Definition of Cimmerian Like Definition of Cimmerian on Facebook
proper noun 
  1. (Greek mythology) any of the mythical people supposed to inhabit a land of perpetual darkness
     
clew Tweet Definition of clew Like Definition of clew on Facebook
noun 
  1. (obsolete) A roughly spherical mass or body.
  2. (archaic) A ball of thread or yarn.
  • 1962: on one side of her lay a pair of carpet slippers and on the other a ball of red wool, the leading filament of which she would tug at every now and then with the immemorial elbow jerk of a Zemblan knitter to give a turn to her yarn and slacken the thread. " Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire
    1. yarn, Yarn or thread as used to guide one's way through a maze or labyrinth; a guide, a clue.
  • 1926: Not often did Jesse James leave a to his identity when he galloped away from a crime of violence, back into the mysterious Nowhere whence he came. " Robertus Love, The Rise and Fall of Jesse James (University of Nebraska, 1990)
    1. (nautical) The lower corner(s) of a sail to which a sheet is attached for trimming the sail (adjusting its position relative to the wind); the metal loop in the corner of the sail, to which the sheet is attached. On a triangluar sail, the is the trailing corner relative to the wind direction.
    2. (in plural) The sheets so attached to a sail.
    3. (nautical, in plural) The cords suspending a hammock.
  • 2000: He taught us how to attach the clews to the ends of the hammock and then lash it between jack stays. " Ralph W Danklefsen, The Navy I Remember (Xlibris 2000, p. 21)
    1. (alternative spelling of, clue)
  • verb 
    1. (transitive) to roll into a ball
    2. (nautical) (transitive and intransitive) to raise the lower corner(s) of (a sail)
         
    Clio Tweet Definition of Clio Like Definition of Clio on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (Greek mythology) The Muse of history and heroic poetry.
    2. a female given name
    3. A model of car by manufacturer Renault.
    Fred loved to take his Clio for a spin.
         
    Clotho Tweet Definition of Clotho Like Definition of Clotho on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (Greek mythology) The youngest of the three Fates, or Moirae, daughter of Zeus and Themis; the spinner of the thread of life
         
    cockatrice Tweet Definition of cockatrice Like Definition of cockatrice on Facebook
    noun 
    1. A legendary creature about the size and shape of a dragon or wyvern, but in appearance resembling a giant rooster, with some lizard-like characteristics.
      "Peace reigns in happy Luxor. The lion lies down with the lamb, and the child, if it will, may harmlessly put its hand into the cockatrice's den" -- "The Spell of Egypt" by J. Walker McSpadden?
         
    cornucopia Tweet Definition of cornucopia Like Definition of cornucopia on Facebook
    noun 
    1. (Greek mythology) a goat's horn endlessly overflowing with fruit, flowers and grain; or full of whatever its owner wanted
    2. A hollow horn- or cone-shaped object, filled with edible or useful things
    3. An abundance or plentiful supply.
    ''A student will receive a of homework every day.
         
    Crius Tweet Definition of Crius Like Definition of Crius on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (Greek mythology) A Titan, the son of Uranus and Gaia.
         
    Cronus Tweet Definition of Cronus Like Definition of Cronus on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (Greek mythology) The youngest of the twelve Titans, son of Uranus and Gaia; father to Zeus; dethroned his father and was subsequently dethroned by his son.
         
    Cupid Tweet Definition of Cupid Like Definition of Cupid on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (Roman mythology) : The god of love, son of Venus; usually depicted as a naked, winged boy with bow and arrow.
         
    Cyclopean Tweet Definition of Cyclopean Like Definition of Cyclopean on Facebook
    adjective 
    1. suggestive of a Cyclops.
    2. of a style of masonry where walls are fitted together of huge irregular stones.
      (seeCites)
         
    cyclops Tweet Definition of cyclops Like Definition of cyclops on Facebook
    noun (cyclops)
    1. A one-eyed A one-eyed giant from Greek and Roman mythology.
    2. A one-eyed creature of any species.
         
    Cynthia Tweet Definition of Cynthia Like Definition of Cynthia on Facebook
    proper noun 
    1. (given name, female, from Greek, )
         

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