Main Entry:

Gor·di·an knot

Pronunciation:

\ˈgȯr-dē-ən-\

Function:

noun

Date:

1579

1: an intricate problem ; especially : a problem insoluble in its own terms —often used in the phrase cut the Gordian knot2: a knot tied by Gordius, king of Phrygia, held to be capable of being untied only by the future ruler of Asia, and cut by Alexander the Great with his sword