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Gor·gon

Audio Help [gawr-guh

n] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	Classical Mythology. any of three sister monsters commonly represented as having snakes for hair, wings, brazen claws, and eyes that turned anyone looking into them to stone. Medusa, the only mortal Gorgon, was beheaded by Perseus.

2.	(lowercase) a mean, ugly, or repulsive woman.

[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L Gorgōn < Gk Gorg, der. of gorgós dreadful

]

—Related forms

Gor·go·ni·an

Audio Help [gawr-goh-nee-uh

n] Pronunciation Key, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Gorgon

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Gor·gon Audio Help (gôr'gən) Pronunciation Key
n.

Greek Mythology Any of the three sisters Stheno, Euryale, and the mortal Medusa who had snakes for hair and eyes that if looked into turned the beholder into stone.
gorgon A woman regarded as ugly or terrifying.

[Middle English, from Latin Gorgō, Gorgon-, from Greek, from gorgos, terrible.]

Gor·go'ni·an (-gō'nē-ən) adj.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
Gorgon

1398, any of the three hideous sisters in Gk. legend, whose look turned beholders to stone (Madusa was one of them), from Gk. Gorgo (pl. Gorgones), from gorgos "terrible." Transferred sense of "terrifyingly ugly person" is from 1529.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

gorgon
noun
(Greek mythology) any of three winged sister monsters and the mortal Medusa who had live snakes for hair; a glance at Medusa turned the beholder to stone

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Gorgon

De`mo*gor"gon\, n. [First mentioned by Lutatius, or Lactantius Placidus, the scholiast on Statius, perh. fr. Gr. ? god, deity + gorgo`s fierce, terrible] A mysterious, terrible, and evil divinity, regarded by some as the author of creation, by others as a great magician who was supposed to command the spirits of the lower world. See Gorgon.

Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name Of Demogorgon. --Milton.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Gorgon

Gor"gon\ (g[^o]r"g[o^]n), n. [L. Gorgo, -onis, Gr. Gorgw`, fr. gorgo`s terrible.]

1. (Gr. Myth.) One of three fabled sisters, Stheno, Euryale, and Medusa, with snaky hair and of terrific aspect, the sight of whom turned the beholder to stone. The name is particularly given to Medusa.

2. Anything very ugly or horrid. --Milton.

3. (Zo["o]l.) The brindled gnu. See Gnu.

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