What does argonaut mean?
An argonaut is, at its root, a figure from Greek mythology: one of the band of heroes who sailed with Jason aboard the ship Argo on the perilous quest for the Golden Fleece. The name derives from the vessel itself — literally 'sailor of the Argo' — combining the ship's name with the Greek word for sailor. Over time the term broadened into a general label for any bold adventurer or pioneer, most famously applied to the prospectors who rushed to California in 1849 in pursuit of gold. In natural history, argonaut also denotes a remarkable open-ocean octopus of the genus Argonauta, often called the paper nautilus for the fragile shell its females secrete to house their eggs. The word carries connotations of daring, enterprise, and epic journeying, making it a vivid choice whenever a writer wants to lend an expedition a heroic, almost mythical quality.
One of the heroes in Greek mythology who sailed with Jason aboard the Argo in quest of the Golden Fleece.
"Heracles himself joined the Argonauts for part of their legendary voyage."
Typically capitalized when referring specifically to the mythological figures.
A bold adventurer or explorer engaged in a daring enterprise, by analogy with the heroes of the Argo.
"The Silicon Valley founders liked to see themselves as argonauts charting unknown digital seas."
A pelagic octopus of the genus Argonauta, known as the paper nautilus, whose females secrete a thin, boat-shaped shell that serves as an egg case.
"Washed ashore after a storm, the fragile shell of an argonaut glinted like crumpled parchment."
Regular plural; capitalized (Argonauts) in the mythological sense, lowercase otherwise.
"The museum's new exhibit traces the argonauts of the Gold Rush era through letters and photographs."
The female argonaut octopus builds her own delicate 'paper' shell to brood her eggs — early naturalists mistook it for a parasite riding on the male.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of argonaut
Argonaut comes from the Greek Argonautēs, formed from Argo, the name of Jason's legendary ship, combined with nautēs, meaning 'sailor'. The ship's name is traditionally linked to its builder Argus, meaning 'swift'. The Greek term passed into Latin as Argonautes before entering English in the late sixteenth century. It shares its nautical root with words such as nautical, astronaut, and aeronaut, all ultimately drawing on the Greek word for ship.
Related word forms
How argonaut is actually used
The mythological sense is usually capitalized (the Argonauts), while the figurative sense of a daring adventurer and the zoological sense are lowercase. The term was popularly applied to the Forty-Niners of the California Gold Rush.
Easily confused with argonaut
An astronaut is a trained space traveler, while an argonaut refers to a figure of Greek myth, a bold adventurer generally, or a type of octopus.