HOW TO PRONOUNCE
halcyon
/ˈhælsiən/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:49
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What does halcyon mean?
noun
- A kingfisher whose nesting by the sea was said, in classical mythology, to cause the Gods to restrain the wind and waves.
- The dead body of such a bird, said in Tudor times to act as a weather vane when hung from a beam.
- A tropical kingfisher of the genus Halcyon, such as the sacred kingfisher (Halcyon sancta) of Australia.
More meanings (2)
adjective
- Pertaining to the halcyon or kingfisher.
- (figuratively) Calm, undisturbed, peaceful, serene.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈhælsiən/
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
He was then soliciting orders for some photograph firm, the halcyon days of his big money having faded to a memory.
It was plain, from the voice of the sparrows, that all was halcyon outside.
More book examples (3)
Still, to the majority, the strawberry season brings the halcyon days of the year.
He had been a pioneer in California, and could narrate many a strange tale of fortunes made and fortunes lost in those wild, halcyon days.
I remarked in my diary that it was "typical Antarctic weather," thinking of those halcyon days which belong to the climate of the southern shores of the Ross Sea.