Wiktionary:Word of the day/2024/April 11

edit · refresh · view Word of the day for April 11

Promethean adj

Of or pertaining to Prometheus, a demigod in Greek mythology who created mortals from clay and stole fire from Zeus to give to them, for which Zeus punished him by chaining him to a rock and having an eagle feed on his liver which grew back each night; he was later rescued by Heracles. Boldly creative, inventive, or original; skilful, talented; also, recklessly daring; audacious. Of a Romantic literary hero: defying traditional moral categories; rebelling against a larger order; persecuted but dauntless. (rare) Of or pertaining to the promethea silkmoth (Callosamia promethea). Promethean n One with the qualities of Prometheus, or who acts in a Promethean manner (audaciously, creatively, etc.). (also attributive, historical) A kind of lucifer match consisting of a glass tube containing sulfuric acid coated on the outside with a flammable mixture of potassium chlorate and sugar and wrapped in paper rolls; the match was lit by crushing the tube with pliers, causing the acid to react with and ignite the flammable components. This type of match was superseded by the friction match which was lit by rubbing against a rough surface. British director Ridley Scott’s film Prometheus premiered on this day in Paris in 2012.

← yesterday | About Word of the Day • Nominate a word • Leave feedback | tomorrow →