Mythology Flashcards
Apollonian
Harmonious, ordered, rational, calm.
bacchanalian
Frenzied, orgiastic.
delphic
Unclear, ambiguous, or confusing.
Dionysian
Frenzied, delirious.
jovial
Jolly, good-natured.
mercurial
Having rapid and unpredictable changes of mood.
Olympian
Lofty, superior, and detached.
venereal
Having to do with sexual intercourse or diseases transmitted by it.
calypso
A folk song or style of singing of West Indian origin that has a lively rhythm and words that are often made up by the singer.
odyssey
(1) A long, wandering journey full of trials and adventures. (2) A spiritual journey or quest.
palladium
A precious, silver-white metal related to platinum that is used in electrical contacts and as an alloy with gold to form white gold.
Penelope
A modest domestic wife.
procrustean
Ruthlessly disregarding individual differences or special circumstances.
protean
(1) Displaying great versatility or variety. (2) Able to take on many different forms or natures.
sibyl
A female prophet or fortune-teller.
siren
A woman who tempts men with bewitching sweetness.
arachnid
A member of the class Arachnida, which principally includes animals with four pairs of legs and no antennae, such as spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks.
calliope
A musical instrument similar to an organ in which whistles are sounded by steam or compressed air.
dryad
A wood nymph.
fauna
Animal life, especially the animals that live naturally in a given area or environment.
flora
Plant life, especially the flowering plants that live naturally in a specific area or environment.
herculean
(1) Extremely strong. (2) Extremely extensive, intense, or difficult.
Pandora’s box
A source of many troubles.
Scylla and Charybdis
Two equally dangerous alternatives.
cereal
(1) A plant that produces grain that can be eaten as food, or the grain it produces. (2) The food made from grain.
Junoesque
Having mature, poised, and dignified beauty.
martial
Having to do with war and military life.
Promethean
New or creative in a daring way.
Sisyphean
Endless and difficult, involving many disappointments.
titanic
Having great size, strength, or power; colossal.
Triton
(1) A being with a human upper body and the lower body of a fish; a merman. (2) Any of various large mollusks with a heavy, conical shell.
vulcanize
To treat crude or synthetic rubber or plastic so that it becomes elastic and strong and resists decay.
