chelidonius · noun — A stone supposed to be taken from the stomach of a swallow, with purported magical or medicinal properties. It carries an Arena rating of 1326, earned across 86 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, chelidonius ranks #1,064 of 17,165 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,367 of 17,161 for The Improbable, #1,737 of 17,144 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,762 of 17,127 for Most Storied Words.
Why “chelidonius” is a great word
CHELIDONIUS — [Noun] A legendary stone, mythically extracted from a swallow's stomach and credited with medicinal or magical properties. Its name descends from the Ancient Greek χελῑδών (khelīdṓn, "swallow"). Unlike a "bezoar"—a general concretion from any animal's gut, prized as an antidote—or an "amulet"—any worn object for protection—the chelidonius is a specific fable of avian origin. It is the imagined jewel hidden in a darting shadow, the cool weight in an apothecary’s velvet pouch, and the patient's hope crystallized from impossible anatomy—a testament to the human habit of seeking profound cures in the bellies of fleeting, common things.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Ultimately from Ancient Greek χελῑδών (khelīdṓn, “swallow”).
noun
- A stone supposed to be taken from the stomach of a swallow, with purported magical or medicinal properties.e.g.“In the belly of a swallow, there is a stone found, called chelidonius, “which, if it be lapped in a fair cloth, and tied to the right arm, will cure lunaticks, mad men, make them amiable and merry.”” — 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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