Helicon
/ˈhɛlɪkɒn/noun
A large circular brass wind instrument with a coiled tube, or Mount Helicon in Greek mythology.
Did you know?Mount Helicon was believed to be the home of the Muses and the spring Hippocrene, whose waters supposedly inspired poets.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Ἑλικών (Helikōn)
“Mount Helicon in Boeotia, the mythic mountain associated with the Muses”
Classical Greek
Greek
ἕλιξ (helix)
“A spiral or winding object; traditionally connected with the name Helicon, though the place-name’s deeper origin is uncertain”
Roman Era
Latin
Helicon
“The Greek mountain of the Muses, adopted into Latin literary tradition”
19th Century
English
helicon
“A large coiled brass wind instrument, named in reference to Helicon and its circular form”
Modern English
English
helicon
“A circular brass instrument, especially one designed to be carried around the player’s body”
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