Cytherean
US/ˌsɪ.ðəˈɹi.ən/
Cytherean adjective: of, from or relating to Cythera, an island now part of Greece, at which the goddess Aphrodite came ashore on a seashell according to Greek mythology. Thus, referring to the goddesses Aphrodite or Venus.
Adjective
Cytherean (not comparable)
- Of, from or relating to Cythera, an island now part of Greece, at which the goddess Aphrodite came ashore on a seashell according to Greek mythology. Thus, referring to the goddesses Aphrodite or Venus.
- Suppliantly he begs, both for himself and for two miserable persons: make this one young, O Cytherean goddess, and this one make virile.1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 8
- Of or pertaining to the planet Venus; Venusian.
- This view, that we see only a Cytherean cloud-canopy, has been confirmed by M. Landerer's observation of the non-polarised character of the light reflected by the crescent Venus; [...]1893, Agnes M. Clerke, A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century, page 314
- But we should hesitate in assuming that the cytherean skies are usually overcast, for the reason that if the greater heat stimulates evaporation, the converse process of precipitation would be slackened for the same reason.1898, E. M. Antoniadi, “Notes on the Rotation Period of Venus”, in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 63, page 319
- Venereal.
- [...] he took every precaution that the venereal diſorder ſhould not be communicated to theſe happy, unoffending people; but it appears [...] that ſome ungenerous Frenchman was baſe enough to plant this dreadful malady, in a country where [...] it is more likely to ſpread than in any other part of...1773, unknown, An Historical Account of All the Voyages Round the World Performed by English Navigators, page 253
Noun
Cytherean (plural Cythereans)
- A native or inhabitant of Cythera
- The Cythereans they found ſtanding all in Arms prepared for them; and after the battel began, the Cythereans for a little while made reſiſtance; […]1676, Thucydides, The History of the Grecian War, page 161
Examples of Cytherean in a sentence
- long before we landed spacecraft on Venus scientists deduced the temperature of the cytherean surface by studying Venus's radio emission.1989, Jay M. Pasachoff, Astronomy, from the earth to the universe, 5, page 171:
- In fact, Soviet astronomers once thought that the thick, dense Cytherean atmosphere might not let any sunlight reach the surface.1991, Kenneth R. Lang, Charles Allen Whitney, Wanderers in space: exploration and discovery in the solar system, page 78:
Forms of Cytherean
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| alternative form | Cytherian |
| Noun | |
| plural | Cythereans |
Origin of Cytherean
From Latin Cytherēius [from Ancient Greek Κυθερήϊος (Kutherḗïos), from Κύθηρα (Kúthēra) + -ήϊος (-ḗïos)] + -an.
Questions about Cytherean
- What does Cytherean mean?
- Cytherean means of, from or relating to Cythera, an island now part of Greece, at which the goddess Aphrodite came ashore on a seashell according to Greek mythology. Thus, referring to the goddesses Aphrodite or Venus.
- How do you use Cytherean in a sentence?
- long before we landed spacecraft on Venus scientists deduced the temperature of the cytherean surface by studying Venus's radio emission.
- What part of speech is Cytherean?
- Cytherean can be an adjective or a noun.
- How do you pronounce Cytherean?
- Cytherean is pronounced /ˌsɪ.ðəˈɹi.ən/ (US).
Words near Cytherean in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Cytherean (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “Cytherean.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/cytherean. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.