plutonian
/pluːˈtəʊ.nɪ.ən/
plutonian means of or relating to Pluto, the Greek and Roman god of the underworld; demonic, infernal.
plutonian is pronounced /pluːˈtəʊ.nɪ.ən/.
Why “plutonian” is a great word
Plutonian describes that which is characteristic of Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld, and thus infernal, dark, and gloomy. Its etymology descends from the Latin *Plūtōnius* ("of or relating to Pluto") + English *-an*, with *Plūtōnius* from Ancient Greek *Πλουτώνιος (Ploutṓnios)*, from *Πλούτων (Ploútōn*, "Pluto"), from *πλοῦτος (ploûtos*, "riches, wealth"), first attested in the 1660s. Unlike "chthonic," which evokes the earthy, fertile powers of the soil, or "plutonic," which anchors itself strictly in the geology of deep-congealed rock, plutonian pertains to the mythic and the melancholic. It is the quality of light in a sunken garden, the chill that lingers in a vaulted corridor, or the silence that follows the last echo in a cavern—an atmosphere where the wealth of the earth offers only the comfort of permanent shadow.
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Latin Plūtōnius (“of or relating to Pluto, Greek and Roman god of the underworld”) + -an (suffix forming adjectives). Plūtōnius is from Ancient Greek Πλουτώνιος (Ploutṓnios, “of or relating to Pluto”), from Πλούτων (Ploútōn, “Pluto”) (from πλοῦτος (ploûtos, “riches, wealth”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *plew- (“to fly; to flow; to run”)) + -ων (-ōn)) + -ιος (-ios, suffix forming adjectives). The English word is cognate with Middle French plutonien (modern French plutonien). The noun is derived from the adjective.
adj
- Of or relating to Pluto, the Greek and Roman god of the underworld; demonic, infernal.“[…] he through the midſt unmarkt, / In ſhew Plebeian Angel militant / Of loweſt order, paſt; and from the dore / Of that Plutonian Hall, inviſible / Aſcended his high Throne, […]”
- Of, relating to, or having characteristics associated with the underworld; dark, gloomy; mournful.“I am dying, Egypt, dying, / Ebbs the crimson life-tide fast, / And the dark Plutonian shadows / Gather on the evening blast; […]”
- Synonym of plutonic (“of or pertaining to rocks formed deep in the Earth's crust, rather than by volcanoes at the surface of the Earth”).
- Synonym of plutonic (“of, pertaining to, or supporting plutonism, the theory that the rocks of the Earth were formed in fire by volcanic activity, with a continuing gradual process of weathering and erosion, then deposited on the sea bed, re-formed into layers of sedimentary rock by heat and pressure, and raised again”).“One system, now called the Plutonian, regards, the earth's crust on which we now live, as the debris of two former worlds, and our present continents as the elevations of the bottom of the sea by subterranean heat. If this theory be founded on fact, why do not our rocks present us with beds of shell-fish in families as are now living at the bottom of the sea?”
- Pertaining to the astrological influence of Pluto (dwarf planet).“Another and perhaps more Plutonian view of this would be that David's bondage to his mother and the codes of behaviour which she set for him had extended throughout his life, in both profes[s]ional and personal spheres; and that bondage now had an opportunity of loosening, with all the attendant consequences.”
- Of or relating to the dwarf planet Pluto.“Burl studied the captured Plutonian hand weapons, and was pleased to have one of the Neptunian soldiers pick one up and demonstrate how it was fired. It had apparently simpler controls than most Plutonian products, for it easily blazed forth a bolt of electronic fire that blasted a tall, crystalline tree to shards.”
noun
- A proponent of plutonism; a plutonist.
- A person under the astrological influence of Pluto, (dwarf planet).“If you are a Plutonian and some of these traits emphatically do not fit you, just let them go and take what is helpful and descriptive of you personally. What will be given is a composite picture, based on working with a great many Plutonians over the years. Plutonians who are negatively inclined are often very guarded and rigid, afraid to let others get close. [...] There are Plutonians who opera”
- An inhabitant of the dwarf planet Pluto.“The Plutonians, who are almost extinct, once held a superscience that they have largely lost. Early Plutonian visits to Earth survived in folk memory as the devil, since Plutonians are gigantic, with horns, hooves, and tail.”
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