Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

actaeon

/ækˈtiːən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.70 in modern English

Syllables
ac-taeon
IPA
/ækˈtiːən/
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A cuckold.

Archaic; Slang

verb

To cuckold.

Obsolete; Slang; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Latin Actaeōn, from Ancient Greek Ἀκταίων (Aktaíōn). In Greek mythology, Artemis transformed Actaeon into a stag with horns on his head. In European folklore, horns were considered the sign of a cuckold, whence the noun sense of Actaeon, "cuckold", and the verb sense "to cuckold", are derived. Compare horned, put horns on, etc.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: Actaeōn, Ἀκταίων

Usage

Inflected Forms

Questions

How do you pronounce actaeon?
The recorded pronunciation is /ækˈtiːən/.
What does actaeon mean?
Grandson of Cadmus, transformed into a stag by Artemis in book III of Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Where does actaeon come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce actaeon

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “actaeon”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ækˈtiːən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “actaeon”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “actaeon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.