| slovo | definícia |
gordian knot
(encz) | Gordian knot,gordický uzel n: PetrV |
Gordian knot
(gcide) | Gordian \Gor"di*an\, a.
1. Pertaining to Gordius, king of Phrygia, or to a knot tied
by him; hence, intricate; complicated; inextricable.
[1913 Webster]
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.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) Pertaining to the Gordiacea.
[1913 Webster] |
gordian knot
(wn) | Gordian knot
n 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 |
| | podobné slovo | definícia |
gordian knot
(encz) | Gordian knot,gordický uzel n: PetrV |
To cut the Gordian knot
(gcide) | Cut \Cut\ (k[u^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cut; p. pr. & vb. n.
Cutting.] [OE. cutten, kitten, ketten; prob. of Celtic
origin; cf. W. cwtau to shorten, curtail, dock, cwta
bobtailed, cwt tail, skirt, Gael. cutaich to shorten,
curtail, dock, cutach short, docked, cut a bobtail, piece,
Ir. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. Cf. Coot.]
1. To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp
instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to
divide.
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You must cut this flesh from off his breast. --Shak.
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Before the whistling winds the vessels fly,
With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. --Pope.
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2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering;
to hew; to mow or reap.
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Thy servants can skill to cut timer. --2. Chron.
ii. 8
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3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as,
to cut the hair; to cut the nails.
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4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.
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5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing,
etc.; to carve; to hew out.
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Why should a man. whose blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? --Shak.
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Loopholes cut through thickest shade. --Milton.
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6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce;
to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.
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The man was cut to the heart. --Addison.
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7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right
angles.
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8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in
the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [Colloq.]
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9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a
recitation. etc. [Colloq.]
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An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the
shop whenever he can do so with impunity. --Thomas
Hamilton.
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10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a
chopping movement of the bat.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
11. (Billiards, etc.) To drive (an object ball) to either
side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue
ball or another object ball.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) To strike (a ball) with the racket
inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain
spin on the ball.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with
another ball.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
To cut a caper. See under Caper.
To cut the cards, to divide a pack of cards into portions,
in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change
the cards to be dealt.
To cut both ways, to have effects both advantageous and
disadvantageous.
To cut corners, to deliberately do an incomplete or
imperfect job in order to save time or money.
To cut a dash or To cut a figure, to make a display of
oneself; to give a conspicuous impression. [Colloq.]
To cut down.
(a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate.
"Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia."
--Knolles.
(b) To put down; to abash; to humble. [Obs] "So great is
his natural eloquence, that he cuts down the finest
orator." --Addison
(c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down
expenses.
(d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a
sloop.
To cut the knot or To cut the Gordian knot, to dispose of
a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary
action, rather than by skill or patience.
To cut lots, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw
lots.
To cut off.
(a) To sever; to separate.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
I would to God, . . .
The king had cut off my brother's. --Shak.
(b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to
destroy. "Iren[ae]us was likewise cut off by
martyrdom." --Addison.
(c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut
off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam
engine.
(d) To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat.
(e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate.
To cut out.
(a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a
piece from a board.
(b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a
garment. " A large forest cut out into walks."
--Addison.
(c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out
work for another day. "Every man had cut out a place
for himself." --Addison.
(d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to
cut out a rival. [Colloq.]
(e) To debar. "I am cut out from anything but common
acknowledgments." --Pope.
(f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or
from under the guns of an enemy.
(g) to separate from the midst of a number; as, to cut
out a steer from a herd; to cut out a car from a
train.
(h) to discontinue; as, to cut out smoking.
To cut to pieces.
(a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces.
(b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces.
To cut a play (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out
passages, to adapt it for the stage.
To cut rates (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for
transportation below the rates established between
competing lines.
To cut short, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a
sudden termination. "Achilles cut him short, and thus
replied." --Dryden.
To cut stick, to make off clandestinely or precipitately.
[Slang]
To cut teeth, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce
through the gum and appear.
To have cut one's eyeteeth, to be sharp and knowing.
[Colloq.]
To cut one's wisdom teeth, to come to years of discretion.
To cut under, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor
in trade; more commonly referred to as undercut.
To cut up.
(a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes.
(b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut
up a book or its author by severe criticism. "This
doctrine cuts up all government by the roots."
--Locke.
(c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the
death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.]
--Thackeray.
[1913 Webster +PJC] |
gordian knot
(wn) | Gordian knot
n 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 |
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