Meanings
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1
adj
daringly creative, inventive, or defiant of accepted limits
The engineer pursued a Promethean plan to transform the region's energy supply.
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2
adj
relating to Prometheus, the mythic figure who stole fire from the gods for humanity
The poem treats scientific discovery as a Promethean theft of fire.
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3
noun
historical: an early chemical match ignited by crushing a small glass capsule of acid
The traveler lit a promethean by breaking its acid-filled tube.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Prometheus + -an. The Greek mythic name was traditionally associated with forethought; Prometheus stole divine fire for humanity and suffered for his defiance. The adjective therefore developed senses of bold creativity and rebellion, while an early fire-producing chemical match took the same name.