/ English Dictionary |
GORDIAN KNOT
Pronunciation (US): | (GB): |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
An intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("Gordian knot" is a kind of...):
knot (any of various fastenings formed by looping and tying a rope (or cord) upon itself or to another rope or to another object)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("Gordian knot" is a kind of...):
problem (a question raised for consideration or solution)