Eridanus

E1R1I1D2A1N1U1S1
/əˈrɪdənəs/

proper noun

A large winter constellation of the northern sky. It lies near Orion and Cetus.

OriginLatin Ēridanus ← Ancient Greek Ἠρῐδᾰνός →
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. astronomyA large winter constellation of the northern sky. It lies near Orion and Cetus.
  2. Greekhuman sciencesA mythical river of northern Europe, rich in amber.

    When Cycnus, Phaeton’s lover/friend/relative/reports vary learned of his fate he wept so long and so loudly on the banks of the Eridanus that to ease his sorrow (and cease the sound) the gods turned him into a Mute swan and it is from this myth that the term ‘Swan Song’ originates.

    2024 January 4, Reda Wigle, “National Bird Day: Celebrate the kind you are based on your zodiac sign”, in New York Post, New York, N.Y.: News Corp, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2024

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekἨρῐδᾰνός
  2. LatinĒridanus
  3. EnglishEridanus

Learned borrowing from Latin Ēridanus, from Ancient Greek Ἠρῐδᾰνός (Ērĭdănós).

More words from Latin, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Ἠριδανός
  • Ἠριδανός (Ēridanós)constellation
Chinese Cantonese 波江座
  • 波江座 (bo¹ gong¹ zo⁶)constellation
Chinese Mandarin 波江座
  • 波江座 (Bōjiāngzuò)constellation
Esperanto Eridano
  • Eridanoconstellation
Finnish Eridanus
  • Eridanusconstellation
French Éridan
  • Éridanconstellation
German Eridanus
  • Eridanusconstellation
Greek Ηριδανός
  • Ηριδανός (Iridanós)constellation
Hindi स्रोतस्विनी तारामंडल
  • स्रोतस्विनी तारामंडल (srotasvinī tārāmaṇḍal)constellation
Irish an Abhainn
  • an Abhainnconstellation
Japanese エリダヌス座
  • エリダヌス座 (Eridanusu-za)constellation
Korean 에리다누스자리
  • 에리다누스자리 (Eridanuseujari)constellation
Malay Sungai
  • Sungaiconstellation
Polish Erydan
  • Erydanconstellation
Russian Эридан
  • Эридан (Eridan)constellation
Spanish Eridanus
  • Eridanusconstellation
Tagalog Ilog
  • Ilogconstellation
Turkish Eridanus, Irmak
  • Eridanusconstellation
  • Irmakconstellation

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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