GORDIAN KNOT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Gordian knot mean? 

• GORDIAN KNOT (noun)
  The noun GORDIAN KNOT has 2 senses:

1. any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms

2. 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

  Familiarity information: GORDIAN KNOT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GORDIAN KNOT (noun)

Sense 1

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)

Sense 2

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)