Make Your Point > Archived Issues > PLUTONIAN

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pronounce PLUTONIAN: Say it "ploo TONE ee yun." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: Today we're checking out the deep, dark, dramatic word Plutonian. See if you can recall one of its close relatives: a pluto____ is someone who's so extremely rich that they're also extremely powerful--seemingly as rich and powerful as the god Pluto from Greek myth, who ruled the underworld, (supposedly) riddled with priceless gems.   (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)  definition: In Greek myth, the god Pluto is in charge of wealth, the dead, and the underworld. And in English, something Plutonic, or something Plutonian, is dark and gloomy, and/or hellish and demonic, in a way that reminds you of the mythical underworld of the dead. And, because the dwarf planet Pluto was named for the Greek god, we can use the same word, "Plutonian," to mean related to Pluto, the dwarf planet. We can even use it as a noun: a Plutonian can be a creature imagined to live on Pluto. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Adjective, most often the proper kind, so we capitalize it: "the moons of the Plutonian system;" "these Plutonian caves." Other forms:  The alternate adjective is "Plutonic." An interesting closely related word: Any place underground filled with deadly vapors--literally or figuratively--can be called a "Plutonium." Apparently when these were discovered, around 1613, they were named for the Greek god of the underworld. Yes, "Plutonium" is spelled the same as the chemical element plutonium, discovered a couple hundred years later and named for the planet, following the tradition set by the element uranium, named for the planet Uranus. how to use it: "Plutonian" is the rare, poetic, dramatic word you can pick when you want to emphasize how dark, deep, terrifying, and mythical something seems. Compared to its close synonym "chthonic," "Plutonian" is easier to spell, say, and understand. You might talk about Plutonian people or animals ("these Plutonian crows"), Plutonian places ("these Plutonian subway stations"), or Plutonian things ("Stephen King's Plutonian imagination"). examples: "The lava hardened into a crust, which cracked and sank in places, mingling its tumbled edges with the creeping flood not cooled beneath... Across it, a few dim trails wander a little way and give out, like the water. For a hundred miles to the Snake River this Plutonian gulf obliterates the land—holds it against occupation or travel."    — Mary Hallock Foote, "Maverick," 1895 "'Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, 'art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the Nightly shore— Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'             Quoth the Raven 'Nevermore.'"    — Edgar Allan Poe, "The Raven," 1845 has this page helped you understand "Plutonian"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "Plutonian" without saying "infernal" or "tenebrous."  try it out: Talk about a poem, play, novel, song, music video, TV episode, or movie scene with a Plutonian sound, look, or atmosphere. What features or details make it so Plutonian? My example would be the opening sequence from the movie Sweeney Todd, made Plutonian with all the darkness, pollution, pale faces, and ominous words. If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game for August is "Heard it in Hamilton." Check out a snippet of lyrics from Hamilton: An American Musical, and see if you can come up with the missing word. You can check your answer by scrolling all the way down.  Try this one today: ANGELICA:    I'm a girl in a world in which    my only job is to marry rich.    My father has no sons, so I'm the one    who has to social climb for one.    I'm the oldest and the wittiest and the gossip in    New York City is _____,    And Alexander is penniless,    Ha! That doesn't mean I want him any less. Definition of the missing word: "secret, sneaky, and tricky, as if planning to trap people." Number of syllables: 4. review this word: 1. The opposite of PLUTONIAN is A. EARTHY. B. METEORIC. C. ETHEREAL. 2. In a funny poem titled "_____," these lines appear: "Toss them, like a cigarette, / To the far Plutonian floor." A. California Paradox B. Ballade of the Oubliette C. The Hunting of the Pacifist Snark Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B Answer to the game question: insidious. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.