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. (Zoöl.) Pertaining to the Gordiacea.

Gordian
(Gor"di*an), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Gordiacea.

Gordius
(||Gor"di*us) n. [NL. See Gordian, 1.] (Zoöl.) A genus of long, slender, nematoid worms, parasitic in insects until near maturity, when they leave the insect, and live in water, in which they deposit their eggs; — called also hair eel, hairworm, and hair snake, from the absurd, but common and widely diffused, notion that they are metamorphosed horsehairs.

Gore
(Gore) n. [AS. gor dirt, dung; akin to Icel. gor, SW. gorr, OHG. gor, and perh. to E. cord, chord, and yarn; cf. Icel. görn, garnir, guts.]

1. Dirt; mud. [Obs.] Bp. Fisher.

2. Blood; especially, blood that after effusion has become thick or clotted. Milton.

Gore
(Gore), n. [OE. gore, gare, AS. gra angular point of land, fr. gr spear; akin to D. geer gore, G. gehre gore, ger spear, Icel. geiri gore, geir spear, and prob. to E. goad. Cf. Gar, n., Garlic, and Gore, v.]

1. A wedgeshaped or triangular piece of cloth, canvas, etc., sewed into a garment, sail, etc., to give greater width at a particular part.

2. A small traingular piece of land. Cowell.

3. (Her.) One of the abatements. It is made of two curved lines, meeting in an acute angle in the fesse point.

Gor-belly
(Gor"-bel`ly), n. [Gore filth, dirt + belly.] A prominent belly; a big-bellied person. [Obs.]

Gorce
(Gorce) n. [OF. gort, nom. gorz, gulf, L. gurges whirlpool, gulf, stream. See Gorge.] A pool of water to keep fish in; a wear. [Obs.]

Gorcock
(Gor"cock`) n. [Prob. from gore blood.] (Zoöl.) The moor cock, or red grouse. See Grouse. [Prov. Eng.]

Gorcrow
(Gor"crow`) n. [AS. gor dung, dirt. See Gore blood, dirt.] (Zoöl.) The carrion crow; — called also gercrow. [Prov. Eng.]

Gord
(Gord) n. [Written also gourd.] [Perh. hollow, and so named in allusion to a gourd.] An instrument of gaming; a sort of dice. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Gordiacea
(||Gor`di*a"ce*a) n. pl. [NL. See Gordian, 1.] (Zoöl.) A division of nematoid worms, including the hairworms or hair eels (Gordius and Mermis). See Gordius, and Illustration in Appendix.

Gordian
(Gor"di*an) a.

1. Pertaining to Gordius, king of Phrygia, or to a knot tied by him; hence, intricate; complicated; inextricable.


  By PanEris using Melati.

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