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Gordian

   Also found in: Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
Gor´di`an
a.1.Pertaining to Gordius, king of Phrygia, or to a knot tied by him; hence, intricate; complicated; inextricable.
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.
2.(Zool.) Pertaining to the Gordiacea.
n.1.(Zool.) One of the Gordiacea.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.Gordian - extremely intricate; usually in phrase `Gordian knot'
complex - complicated in structure; consisting of interconnected parts; "a complex set of variations based on a simple folk melody"; "a complex mass of diverse laws and customs"
Translations
Gordian [ˈgɔːdɪən] ADJ to cut the Gordian knot → cortar el nudo gordiano
Gordian
adj → gordisch; to cut the Gordian knot → den gordischen Knoten durchhauen


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
The companionship of one's wife is no article of merchandise, that, after it has been bought, may be returned, or bartered, or changed; for it is an inseparable accident that lasts as long as life lasts; it is a noose that, once you put it round your neck, turns into a Gordian knot, which, if the scythe of Death does not cut it, there is no untying.
Don Quixote by Cervantes, Miguel View in context
It was she who invented the short cut, who severed the Gordian knot.
The Aspern Papers by James, Henry View in context
So far, on the contrary, that is the very Gordian knot.
The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas, Alexandre View in context
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