Argonaut

American  

[ahr-guh-nawt, -not] / ˈɑr gəˌnɔt, -ˌnɒt /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a member of the band of men who sailed to Colchis with Jason in the ship Argo in search of the Golden Fleece.

2. (sometimes lowercase) a person in quest of something dangerous but rewarding; adventurer.

3. a person who moved to California during the gold rush of 1849.

4. (lowercase) paper nautilus.

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Argonaut British  

/ ˈɑːɡəˌnɔːt /

noun

1. Greek myth one of the heroes who sailed with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece

2. a person who took part in the Californian gold rush of 1849

3. another name for the paper nautilus

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Other Word Forms

• Argonautic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Argonaut

< Latin Argonauta < Greek Argonaútēs crewman of the ship Argo; nautical

Example Sentences

The university’s Argonaut newspaper reported that the unidentified student complained about CLS members, saying they “had told her to go to hell.”

From Washington Times • Apr. 27, 2022

Beyond the aforementioned Seattle schools, there is Argonaut Diving in Edmonds, Exotic Aquatics on Bainbridge Island and more than a dozen other scuba diving shops in the Greater Seattle area.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 15, 2022

What has Mr. Argonaut earned from Spotify after all this trouble?

From Slate • May 10, 2021

Among hotels within walking distance of Pier 33 is the Argonaut, near Pier 39.

From Washington Post • Jan. 4, 2018

Percy wasn’t sure what the old seer had meant about Frank’s family history—his great-grandfather destroying camp, his Argonaut ancestor, and the bit about a burned stick controlling Frank’s life.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan