Meanings
- The entrance to Hell or the underworld, or the underworld itself.
His fiery eies are fixt vpon the earth. As if he now deuiſ’d some Stratageme: Or meant to pierce Auernus darkſome vauts. To pull the triple headed dog from hell.
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii - A lake in Southern Italy.
I perceive the Lake Avernus, an extinguished volcano, whose waves once inspired terror.
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
Origin
- Ancient Greekἄορνος
- LatinAvernus
- EnglishAvernus
From Latin Avernus, from Ancient Greek ἄορνος (áornos), ἄϝορνος (áwornos, “birdless”), from ἀ- (a-, “without”) + ὄρνις (órnis, “bird”). The lack of birds was likely due to fatal gases like carbon dioxide seeping from the volcanically active lake.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French Averne
- Avernelake in Italy
Italian Averno, Lago Averno
- Avernolake in Italy
- Lago Avernolake in Italy
Latin Avernus, Lacus Avernus
- Avernuslake in Italy
- Lacus Avernuslake in Italy
Cite this entry
Avernus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Avernus
“Avernus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Avernus. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Avernus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Avernus.
Source: Avernus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.