helicon

H4E1L1I1C3O1N1
UK/ˈhɛlɪkɒn/UK/ˈhɛlɪkən/US/ˈhɛlɪkɑn/

noun

A large tuba whose coils fit around the player's shoulders.

Similar
bombardon
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

helicon1

nounhelicon (plural helicons)

plural helicons

  1. entertainmentA large tuba whose coils fit around the player's shoulders.
  2. natural sciencesA low-frequency electromagnetic wave observed in various plasmas.

Helicon2

proper noun
  1. A mountain of Boeotia sacred to Apollo and the Muses.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna tuba that coils over the shoulder of the musician

Similar
bombardon
Broader
bass hornsousaphonetuba
Also see
bombardon

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Probably from helic- + -on (“augmentative suffix”), from Ancient Greek ἕλῐξ (hélĭx) + -on, after bombardon.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian бас-туба
  • бас-туба (bas-tuba)large tuba
Catalan helicó
  • helicólarge tuba
Finnish helikoni
  • helikonilarge tuba
French hélicon
  • héliconlarge tuba
Italian elicone
  • eliconelarge tuba
Russian гелико́н
  • гелико́н (gelikón)large tuba
Spanish helicón, bombardón
  • helicónlarge tuba
  • bombardónlarge tuba

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

cholineNichole
Cite this entry
APA

helicon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helicon

MLA

“helicon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helicon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “helicon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/helicon.

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