Acheron

A1C3H4E1R1O1N1
/ˈæ.kəɹ.ən//ˈæ.kəɹ.ɔn/

proper noun

A river in the infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets, it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf.

UncommonScrabble 12

Meanings

Acheron1

proper noun
  1. Greekhuman sciencesA river in the infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets, it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf.

    Behold! I rise from primal silence / As a storm crushing dismal shores ov Acheron

    2009, Behemoth, The Seed ov I
    3 more examples

    Ile diue into the burning lake belowe, / And pull her out of Acaron by the heeles.

    c. 1588–1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedie of Titus Andronicus: […] (First Quarto), London: […] Iohn Danter, and are to be sold by Edward White & Thomas Millington, […], published 1594, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], signature H, recto

    Acheron and Phlegeton, which a subterraneous fire causes to boil, are the billows of that hell which was visited by Æneas.

    1807, [Germaine] de Staël Holstein, translated by D[ennis] Lawler, “[[Book XIII. Vesuvius and the plain of Naples.] Chap[ter] IV.] The extempore effusion of Corinna on the Plain of Naples.”, in Corinna; or, Italy. […], volume III, London: […] Corri, […]; and sold by Colburn, […], and Mackenzie, […], →OCLC, page 234

    The Greeks believed that Hades was beneath the earth. It had five rivers—the Acheron, the Kokytos, the Lethe, the Pyriphlegethon, and the Styx. Each served as a boundary between the land of the living and the land of the dead.

    1974, C[ovington] Scott Littleton, “Hades”, in The World Book Encyclopedia, volume 9 (H), Chicago, Ill.: Field Enterprises Educational Corporation, →ISBN, page 4, column 2
  2. literaryHell.
  3. A small town in Victoria, Australia.

Acheron2

proper noun

alternative Asheron

Origin

  1. Pre-Greek
  2. Ancient GreekἈχέρων
  3. LatinAcherōn
  4. EnglishAcheron

Borrowed from Latin Acherōn, from Ancient Greek Ἀχέρων (Akhérōn), probably Pre-Greek but folk-etymologically said to be from ἄχος (ákhos, “pain, distress”) + ῥέον (rhéon, “stream”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Ἀχέρων
  • Ἀχέρων (Akhérōn)a river
Basque Akeronte
  • Akerontea river
Bulgarian Ахерон
  • Ахерон (Aheron)a river
Chinese Mandarin 阿刻戎
  • 阿刻戎 (Ākèróng)a river
Esperanto Akerono, Aĥerono
  • Akeronoa river
  • Aĥeronoa river
Finnish Akheron
  • Akherona river
French Achéron
  • Achérona river
Greek Αχέρων, Αχέροντας
  • Αχέρων (Achéron)a river
  • Αχέροντας (Achérontas)a river
Italian Acheronte
  • Acherontea river
Japanese アケローン
  • アケローン (Akerōn)a river
Korean 아케론강
  • 아케론강 (Akeron'gang)a river
Latin Acherōn
  • Acherōna river
Persian آخرون
  • آخرون (âxerun)a river
Portuguese Aqueronte
  • Aquerontea river
Romanian Aheron
  • Aherona river
Russian Ахеро́н
  • Ахеро́н (Axerón)a river
Spanish Aqueronte, Aquerón
  • Aquerontea river
  • Aqueróna river
Ukrainian Ахеро́нт
  • Ахеро́нт (Axerónt)a river
Cite this entry
APA

Acheron. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Acheron

MLA

“Acheron.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Acheron. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Acheron,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Acheron.

Source: Acheron on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.