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damocles

 - 2 dictionary results

Dam⋅o⋅cles

  [dam-uh-kleez]
Use damocles in a Sentence
–noun
1. a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness.
—Idiom
2. sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.
Related forms:
Dam⋅o⋅cle⋅an  [dam-uh-klee-uhn] , adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To damocles
Dam·o·cles   (dām'ə-klēz')   
Greek courtier to Dionysius the Elder, tyrant of Syracuse, who according to legend was forced to sit at a banquet table under a sword suspended by a single hair to demonstrate the precariousness of a king's fortunes.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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