Gordian knot

Gordian knot
Gordian Gor"di*an, a. 1. Pertaining to Gordius, king of Phrygia, or to a knot tied by him; hence, intricate; complicated; inextricable. [1913 Webster]

{Gordian knot}, an intricate knot tied by Gordius in the thong which connected the pole of the chariot with the yoke. An oracle having declared that he who should untie it should be master of Asia, Alexander the Great averted the ill omen of his inability to loosen it by cutting it with his sword. Hence, a Gordian knot is an inextricable difficulty; and to cut the Gordian knot is to remove a difficulty by bold and energetic measures. [1913 Webster]

2. (Zo["o]l.) Pertaining to the Gordiacea. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Gordian knot — [gôr′dē ən] n. 1. Gr. Legend a knot tied by King Gordius of Phrygia, which an oracle reveals will be undone only by the future master of Asia: Alexander the Great, failing to untie it, cuts the knot with his sword 2. any perplexing problem cut… …   Universalium

  • Gordian knot — [gôr′dē ən] n. 1. Gr. Legend a knot tied by King Gordius of Phrygia, which an oracle reveals will be undone only by the future master of Asia: Alexander the Great, failing to untie it, cuts the knot with his sword 2. any perplexing problem cut… …   English World dictionary

  • Gordian knot — ► NOUN (in phrase cut the Gordian knot) ▪ solve a difficult problem in a direct or forceful way. ORIGIN from the legendary knot tied by Gordius, king of Gordium, and cut through by Alexander the Great in response to the prophecy that whoever… …   English terms dictionary

  • Gordian knot — 1560s, tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia in Asia Minor, who predicted the one to loosen it would rule Asia. Instead, Alexander the Great cut the Gordian knot with his sword; hence the extended sense (1570s in English) solve a difficult problem in… …   Etymology dictionary

  • Gordian Knot — For other uses, see Gordian Knot (disambiguation). Alexander cuts the Gordian Knot, by Jean Simon Berthélemy (1743–1811) The Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor …   Wikipedia

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  • Gordian Knot —    According to Greek legend, in the ancient country of Phrygia, a peasant named Gordius was chosen to be king over the Phrygian people because an oracle had said that their troubles would end if they chose as king the first man who approached… …   Dictionary of eponyms

  • Gordian knot — Gor|di|an knot [ˌgo:diən ˈnɔt US ˌgo:rdiən ˈna:t] n [Date: 1500 1600; Origin: From a complicated knot tied by Gordius, king of ancient Phrygia, which Alexander the Great cut through with his sword] cut/untie the Gordian knot to quickly solve a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

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