Skip to content
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

persephone

/pɚˈsɛfəniː/

Press play to hear how to pronounce persephone.

American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
Watch on YouTube ↗

What does persephone mean?

proper noun

  1. A minor deity, the queen of the Underworld/Hades, and goddess of the seasons and vegetation. Originally named Kore/Core, she is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter; and the wife of Hades. Her Roman counterpart is Proserpina.
  2. 399 Persephone, a main belt asteroid.
  3. The ninth or tenth planet, orbiting beyond Pluto.
More meanings (1)

proper noun

  1. (rare) A female given name from Ancient Greek.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/pɚˈsɛfəniː/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

In the ancient myth of Demeter and Persephone--which has been adopted by so many peoples under so many forms--Demeter the Earth-mother loses her daughter Persephone (who represents of course the Vegetation), carried down into the underworld by the evil powers of Darkness and Winter.
Edward CarpenterPagan and Christian Creeds: Their Origin and MeaningProject Gutenberg ebook #1561