avalon

avalon — noun

1. a magical island in old British tales where King Arthur is taken to rest or be h

1.noun
Definition

a magical island in old British tales where King Arthur is taken to rest or be healed once his fighting is over, often pictured as a peaceful land of apple trees and endless summer.

Example

Old Welsh poems describe Avalon as a misty island ruled by nine wise sisters.

proper noun: Avalon as named place

Sir Bedivere watched a dark boat carry the wounded king toward Avalon.

preposition: toward Avalon (motion to)

Common collocations
  • isle of Avalon
  • carried to Avalon
  • legend of Avalon
Synonyms
  • Elysium

    Greek-myth equivalent: paradise for noble dead heroes

  • Tír na nÓg

    Irish-myth island of eternal youth, similar magical-island idea

Grammar Patterns

the Avalon of legend

Usage Note

Almost always written with a capital A and used without an article, like other place names; the form 'the Avalon of legend' is acceptable when adding a descriptive phrase.

Common Mistakes

They sailed to the Avalon last summer.
They sailed to Avalon last summer.
as a place name, Avalon does not normally take 'the'.

Word family

  • Arthurian
    adjective

Common collocations

Nouns

  • isle of Avalon
  • legend of Avalon
  • mists of Avalon

Phrases

  • the Arthurian Avalon
  • carried to Avalon
  • vanish into Avalon

Prepositions

  • to Avalon
  • from Avalon
  • toward Avalon

Etymology

WelshOld FrenchMedieval LatinMiddle EnglishEnglish

Borrowed into English through medieval Latin 'Avallon' from Old French, which took it from Welsh 'Afallon', a name connected to 'afal' meaning 'apple'. The link to apples reflects the legendary picture of Avalon as a fruitful island; the form became fixed in English through 12th-century Arthurian writers such as Geoffrey of Monmouth.