Calliopean

Calliopean is an adjective that means loud and piercing. In Greek mythology, the muses were nine sisters who presided over various arts and sciences, with each muse having a different area of expertise. The Muse named Calliope presided over heroic poetry. In time, the word calliope came to be the name of a steam-powered musical instrument known for being extremely loud. The adjective calliopean may refer either specifically to the musical instrument or to anything piercingly loud. Just when I thought I’d found a nice quiet time to take a nap, my son began to practice the drums, creating a calliopean noise and guaranteeing I wouldn’t get a wink of sleep.