pluto
pluto
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The standard American English pronunciation of "Pluto" is IPA: /ˈplutoʊ/.
plu /plu/: The first syllable starts with a 'p' sound ($p$), followed by an 'l' sound ($l$), and ends with the 'oo' vowel sound found in "blue" ($u$).
to /toʊ/: The second syllable starts with a 't' sound ($t$) and ends with the 'oh' vowel sound found in "go" ($oʊ$).
Word Form Variations
Singular: Pluto
Plural: Plutos (This is rare and usually only used when referring to multiple, distinct things named Pluto, such as hypothetical "Plutos" in different universes or as a plural for the Disney character).
Adjective: Plutonian (Relating to the god, the dwarf planet, or the underworld).
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
(Astronomy) The celestial body, formerly classified as the ninth planet in the solar system, that was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. It is a large, icy object located in the Kuiper belt, far beyond Neptune.
(Roman Mythology) The god of the underworld and the judge of the dead; also the god of wealth, which comes from the earth.
Synonyms: Hades (Greek equivalent), Dis Pater
Antonyms: (By concept) Jupiter (god of the sky), Apollo (god of light)
(Pop Culture) A famous cartoon dog character created by Walt Disney, known for being Mickey Mouse's pet.
Synonyms: Pluto the Pup
Antonyms: (Not applicable)
Examples of Use
Here are several real-world examples of how the word "Pluto" is used across various mediums.
In Books
Science Writing: In his book How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming, astronomer Mike Brown discusses his discovery of Eris, a celestial body larger than Pluto, which directly led to the scientific community's debate and reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet.
Mythology: In many translations of classic texts like Ovid's Metamorphoses, Pluto is depicted as the formidable ruler of the underworld who abducts Proserpina (Persephone) to be his queen.
In News and Online Publications
Astronomy News: "Data from NASA's New Horizons mission, which flew past Pluto in July 2015, revealed that the dwarf planet has vast, nitrogen-ice plains, towering mountains of water ice, and a surprisingly complex atmosphere." (Based on widespread reporting in publications like National Geographic and Scientific American).
Online Commentary: "An op-ed in The Verge argued that the scientific definition of a 'planet' is flawed and that Pluto's demotion was based more on semantics than on its geophysical importance."
In Entertainment
Animation: In countless classic Disney cartoons, Mickey Mouse's loyal, non-verbal dog, Pluto, often gets into trouble, demonstrates unwavering loyalty, or feuds with the chipmunks Chip 'n' Dale.
Anime/Manga: In the popular Sailor Moon franchise, the character Sailor Pluto is one of the mysterious and powerful Outer Guardians, who protects the fabric of space and time.
Film: The main plot of the 2019 film Ad Astra is set in motion by mysterious energy surges originating from the vicinity of Neptune, which are linked to a long-lost mission that had been sent to study the outer solar system near Pluto.
In General Public Discourse
Casual Debate: "I grew up learning there were nine planets, and in my heart, Pluto will always be the ninth planet, no matter what the astronomers say."
Education: "My son's new science textbook has a whole chapter on dwarf planets, and it uses Pluto as the primary example to explain the criteria for planethood."
10 Famous Quotes Using Pluto
"Or bid the soul of Orpheus sing / Such notes as, warbled to the string, / Drew iron tears down Pluto's cheek." (John Milton, Il Penseroso)
"Pluto — this was the cat's name — was my favorite pet and playmate." (Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat)
"If you slid Pluto to where Earth is right now, heat from the sun would evaporate that ice, and it would grow a tail. Now that's no kind of behavior for a planet." (Neil deGrasse Tyson)
"It used to be said that Pluto is a misfit. But now we know Earth is the misfit." (Alan Stern, principal investigator for the New Horizons mission)
"Pluto is dead." (Mike Brown, title of his book How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming)
"When I was a little kid, we only knew about our nine planets. Since then, we've downgraded Pluto but have discovered that other solar systems and stars are common." (Buzz Aldrin)
"Just so you know, in my view, Pluto is a planet, and you can write that the NASA administrator declared Pluto a planet once again." (Jim Bridenstine, former NASA Administrator)
"I've always liked Saturn. But I also have some sympathy for Pluto because I heard it's been downgraded from a planet... Once you've given something planetary status it's kind of mean to take it away." (Jared Leto)
"A truth can exist for decades and in a moment vanish. Just ask Pluto." (R.J. Intindola)
"We've generally kept Pluto all dog… He doesn't speak, except for a breathy 'Yeah! Yeah!'" (Walt Disney, referring to the cartoon character)
Etymology
The word "Pluto" comes to English from Latin, but its original roots are Greek.
It all starts with the ancient Greek god of the underworld, Hades. Hades was a dark and feared figure, so people often avoided using his real name. Instead, they used a nickname, or "epithet," to refer to him.
One of those nicknames was Ploutōn, which in Greek means "The Rich One" or "Giver of Wealth."
This might seem strange for a god of the dead, but the Greeks and Romans believed that all the world's wealth—like precious metals (gold, silver) and fertile crops—came from under the ground, which was Pluto's domain. So, he wasn't just the god of the dead; he was also the god of all the riches hidden within the earth.
First Use (Mythology): The word Ploutōn was first used in ancient Greece during its Classical period (around the 5th to 4th centuries BC) by writers and philosophers like Plato. The Romans later adopted this name, Latinizing it to Pluto, and he became a major god in their mythology.
First Use (Astronomy): The word got its most famous modern use in 1930. When a new, distant, and dark celestial body was discovered, an 11-year-old girl from England named Venetia Burney suggested the name "Pluto." It was the perfect choice for two reasons:
It followed the tradition of naming planets after Roman gods.
The dark, cold, and remote object was a fitting match for the god of the faraway underworld.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pluto
Here is a list of phrases and idioms related to the word "Pluto" or its associated meanings.
To be "Plutoed": A modern phrase meaning to be demoted, downgraded, or dismissed from a position of importance, just as the celestial body was reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet.
Way out on Pluto: A descriptive phrase used to emphasize that something or someone is extremely distant, remote, isolated, or "out of the loop."
Colder than Pluto: A simile used to describe something as physically or emotionally frigid and remote.
A snowball's chance in Hades: An idiom using Pluto's Greek equivalent (Hades) or his realm. It means to have absolutely no chance of succeeding.
When Hades (or Hell) freezes over: A common idiom signifying that something will never, ever happen.
The Pluto of the group: A phrase describing a person or item that, while technically part of a set, is often excluded, forgotten, or treated as irrelevant.
Sending (someone) to Pluto: An original phrase meaning to banish or dismiss someone to the farthest, most irrelevant place imaginable.
The criminal underworld: A common term for the organized society of criminals, drawing directly from the concept of Pluto/Hades as the ruler of the "underworld."
Like bats out of Hades (or Hell): An idiom used to describe moving extremely fast, as if fleeing the underworld itself.
A journey to the underworld: A literary phrase referring to a difficult quest into a dark, dangerous, or forbidden place (like the myths of heroes visiting Pluto's realm)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pluto from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
