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lethe river

 - 3 dictionary results

Le⋅the

  [lee-thee]
Use lethe river in a Sentence
–noun
1. Classical Mythology. a river in Hades whose water caused forgetfulness of the past in those who drank of it.
2. (usually lowercase) forgetfulness; oblivion.
Origin:
< L < Gk, special use of lthē forgetfulness, akin to lanthánesthai to forget

Related forms:
Le⋅the⋅an  [li-thee-uhn, lee-thee-uhn] , Lethied, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Cultural Dictionary

Lethe [(lee-thee)]

In classical mythology, a river flowing through Hades. The souls of the dead were forced to drink of its waters, which made them forget what they had done, said, and suffered when they were alive.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Lethe 
1567, river of Hades, whose water when drunk caused forgetfulness of the past, from Gk. lethe, lit. "forgetfulness, oblivion," related to lethargos "forgetful," lathre "secretly, by stealth," lathrios "stealthy," lanthanein "to be hidden." Cognate with L. latere "to be hidden" (see latent).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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