chthonian

[ thoh-nee-uh n ]
/ ˈθoʊ ni ən /

adjective Classical Mythology.

of or relating to the deities, spirits, and other beings dwelling under the earth.
Also chthon·ic [thon-ik] /ˈθɒn ɪk/.

Origin of chthonian

1840–50; < Greek chthóni(os) ( chthon-, stem of chthṓn earth + -ios adj. suffix) + -an; akin to Latin humus earth (see humus)

Example sentences from the Web for chthonic

  • She was also "a queen over death and the dead," a chthonic characteristic.

    The World of Homer |Andrew Lang
  • In Classical Greece chthonic worship and hero worship seem on the whole to be more prominent than that of the gods.

    The Heroic Age |H. Munro Chadwick

British Dictionary definitions for chthonic

chthonian

chthonic (ˈθɒnɪk)

/ (ˈθəʊnɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to the underworld

Word Origin for chthonian

C19: from Greek khthonios in or under the earth, from khthōn earth