Main Entry: plu·to·nism

Pronunciation: \ˈplüt-^ən-ˌiz-əm\

Function: noun

: radiation sickness resulting from exposure to plutonium

Plu·to \ˈplüt-(ˌ)ō\ Greek mythological character. Pluto, who was also known as Hades, was the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. The brother of the gods Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia, he had Persephone as his consort and queen. The ancients perceived him to be a grim, cold god who justly but mercilessly ruled his shadowy subterranean kingdom.