Charybdis

[ kuh-rib-dis ]

noun
  1. Modern name Ga·lo·fa·lo [Italian gah-law-fah-law], /Italian gɑˈlɔ fɑ lɔ/, Ga·ro·fa·lo [Italian gah-raw-fah-law] /Italian gɑˈrɔ fɑ lɔ/ . a whirlpool in the Strait of Messina off the NE coast of Sicily.

  2. Classical Mythology. a daughter of Gaia and Poseidon, a monster mentioned in Homer and later identified with the whirlpool Charybdis.: Compare Scylla (def. 2).

Origin of Charybdis

1
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English Karibdous, Karybdys, from Latin Charybdis, from Greek Chárybdis; further origin uncertain

Other words from Charybdis

  • Cha·ryb·di·an, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Charybdis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Charybdis

Charybdis

/ (kəˈrɪbdɪs) /


noun
  1. a ship-devouring monster in classical mythology, identified with a whirlpool off the north coast of Sicily, lying opposite Scylla on the Italian coast: Compare Scylla

Derived forms of Charybdis

  • Charybdian, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012