Calliopean - a podcast by Word of the Day

Calliopean is an adjective that means loud and piercing.

In Greek mythology, the muses were nine sisters who presided over various arts and sciences, with each muse having a different area of expertise. The Muse named Calliope presided over heroic poetry. In time, the word calliope came to be the name of a steam-powered musical instrument known for being extremely loud. The adjective calliopean may refer either specifically to the musical instrument or to anything piercingly loud.

Just when I thought I’d found a nice quiet time to take a nap, my son began to practice the drums, creating a calliopean noise and guaranteeing I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep.

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