Meaning & use

calliope

noun·Advanced

A musical instrument that produces sound through steam whistles, often heard at fairs.

See it in a sentence

The carnival's calliope played cheerful tunes that could be heard from blocks away.

Riverboats once used a calliope to announce their arrival at each town.

A note on using this word

Calliope is capitalized when referring to the ancient Greek muse of epic poetry, a separate but related use of the name.

Words with a similar meaning

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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. proper noun

In Greek mythology, the muse of epic poetry and eloquence.

Homer is said to have called on Calliope for inspiration before composing his epics.

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