11 June 2019

Stygian

[stij-ee-uh n]

adjective

of or relating to the river Styx or to Hades.
dark or gloomy.
infernal; hellish.

ORIGIN OF STYGIAN

1560–70; < Latin Stygi(us) < Greek Stýgios (Styg-, stem of Stýx Styx + -ios adj. suffix) + -an

RELATED FORMS

trans-Styg·i·an, adjective

DICTIONARY.COM UNABRIDGED BASED ON THE RANDOM HOUSE UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY, © RANDOM HOUSE, INC. 2019

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR STYGIAN

The moon was just rising above the horizon, but under the trees the darkness was Stygian. THE HILL|HORACE ANNESLEY VACHELL Justus

Miles was the first to come to, and he found himself in Stygian blackness. THE HEADS OF APEX|FRANCIS FLAGG

At the far end of this courtyard a shadowy pavilion arose, culled from the Stygian gloom by the sheen of the lightnings. UNDER THE WITCHES’ MOON|NATHAN GALLIZIER

Not a star could blink a wan ray of light into that Stygian pit. THE MAN OF THE FOREST|ZANE GREY

Today’s quote

Self-righteousness has killed more people than smoking.

– John McCarthy

On this day
11 June 1955 – during the 24 hour Le Mans race, a Mercedes 300 crashes at high speed. Debris, including the engine block, axles and bonnet, slams through the crowd killing 83 spectators. The bonnet decapitated a number of spectators who had been tightly packed into the stand. The driver was also killed.

11 June 1962 – Three prisoners escape from the federal prison on Alcatraz Island. The three men, Frank Morris, and brothers, Clarence and John Anglin were never found. Authorities believe it is most likely that the three men did not survive the swim across San Francisco Bay, although their bodies were never recovered.

11 June 2001 – Timothy McVeigh executed for his role in the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing, which killed 168 people, 19 of whom were children or babies.