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 knot
2 : 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