halcyon

n.

1. A kingfisher, especially one of the genus Halcyon.
2. A fabled bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was supposed to have had the power to calm the wind and the waves while it nested on the sea during the winter solstice.

adj.

1. Calm and peaceful; tranquil.
2. Prosperous; golden: halcyon years.

[Middle English alcioun, from Latin alcyōn, halcyōn, from Greek halkuōn, a mythical bird, kingfisher, alteration (influenced by hals, salt, sea , and kuōn, conceiving) of alkuōn.]

(HAL-see-uhn)

adjective
1. Peaceful; tranquil.
2. Carefree; joyful.
3. Golden; prosperous.

noun
Any of various kingfishers of the genus Halcyon.

Etymology
From Greek halkyon (kingfisher) via Latin and Middle English. Halcyon was a mythical bird, identified with the kingfisher, that was said to breed around the winter solstice. It nested at sea and had the power to charm the wind and waves so that they became calm

In Greek mythology, Alcyone was the daughter of Aeolus and wife of Ceyx. When Ceyx drowned in a shipwreck, she threw herself into the sea. Out of compassion, the gods transformed them into a pair of kingfishers. To protect their nest, the winds were forbidden to blow for a week before and after the winter solstice.

Halcyon pictures: www.naturephoto-cz.eu/halcyon-smyrnensis-picture-1780.html.

Usage
"In the halcyon days, the company's total workforce between the two plants topped 3,300 but the decline in those numbers has been ongoing for some considerable time." — John Murphy; Concern Over Future of Plant; The Irish Examiner (Cork, Ireland); Mar 15, 2005.

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Frank Rich, an op-ed writer for The New York Times, lamented the fact that his colleague Judy Miller had been jailed for refusing to reveal a source's identity. Rich contrasted this turn of events with the protection afforded to an earlier, very famous confidential source:

"That honorable model... was a given in what seems like the halcyon Watergate era of 'The Secret Man' [Bob Woodward's new memoir about life with Deep Throat]. Mr. Woodward and Carl Bernstein had confidence that The Washington Post's publisher, Katharine Graham, and editor, Ben Bradlee, would back them to the hilt..."

Link: We're Not in Watergate Anymore

Posted July 11, 2005.

See our Word Overheard blog to see interesting uses of strange words.

adjective

Motionless and undisturbed: calm, peaceful, placid, quiet, serene, still, stilly, tranquil, untroubled. See calm/agitation.

adj

Definition: serene
Antonyms: troubled

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golden, peaceful, happy, prosperous

IN BRIEF: Calm and peaceful.

My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea. — Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - rolig, fredfyldt, lykkelig
n. - isfugl

idioms:

• halcyon days    en rolig og lykkelig tid

Nederlands (Dutch)
ijsvogel, kalm, voorspoedig

Français (French)
adj. - paradisiaque
n. - (Mythol) alcyon

idioms:

• halcyon days    jours heureux

Deutsch (German)
n. - Eisvogel (der antiken Fabel)
adj. - glücklich

idioms:

• halcyon days    glückliche Tage

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μυθολ.) Αλκυών, Αλκυόνη
adj. - αλκυονίδες

idioms:

• halcyon days    αλκυονίδες ημέρες

Italiano (Italian)
alcione, martin pescatore, calmo

idioms:

• halcyon days    giorni calmi e felici

Português (Portuguese)
n. - martim-pescador (m) (Ornit.) (Zool.), ave (f) fabulosa
adj. - pacífico, agradável

idioms:

• halcyon days    dias (m pl) de grande paz

Русский (Russian)
зимородок, спокойный

idioms:

• halcyon days    передышка, спокойные дни

Español (Spanish)
adj. - calmo, pacífico, feliz, rico, próspero
n. - martín pescador

idioms:

• halcyon days    días felices, días alciónicos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - isfågel (mytol.), kungsfiskare (zool.)
adj. - fridfull, lycklig

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
平静的, 幸福美好的, 宁静的, 神翠鸟, 翡翠鸟

idioms:

• halcyon days    冬至前后七天风平浪静的日子, 太平的日子

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 平靜的, 幸福美好的, 寧靜的
n. - 神翠鳥, 翡翠鳥

idioms:

• halcyon days    冬至前後七天風平浪靜的日子, 太平的日子

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 물총새와 같은, 화창스러운, 고요한
n. - 할시온, 물총새

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - カワセミ
adj. - のどかな, 静かな

idioms:

• halcyon days    平穏で幸福な時代

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) القاوند طائر تزعم الأسطورة أنه يهدئ في دور حضانته, أمواج البحر (صفه) هادئ, رائق, سعيد, ذهبي, مزدهر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רגוע, שליו, נוח, שקט‬
n. - ‮שלדג טרופי עם נוצות צבעוניות, ציפור ימית מיתולוגית‬

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Halcyon Acb	halcyon days cat