halcyon
/ˈhælsiən/
adjective
- Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.
- The old photographs reminded him of the halcyon years before the war.
- Many people look back on the 1990s as a halcyon era of economic growth and optimism.
- She often reminisced about the halcyon days of her childhood summers at the lake.
- Calm and peaceful; relating to a calm sea or weather.
- After the storm passed, the sea returned to its halcyon state, smooth and glassy.
- The halcyon weather made the boat trip across the bay absolutely perfect.
- We enjoyed a halcyon afternoon on the porch, with a gentle breeze and not a cloud in the sky.
noun
- A mythical bird, often identified with the kingfisher, said to nest at sea during the winter solstice and calm the waves.
- The poet compared her lover's soothing presence to the halcyon that quiets the stormy sea.
- In ancient legend, the halcyon built its floating nest on the ocean and charmed the wind to stillness.
- Sailors once believed that spotting a halcyon meant safe passage ahead.