gorgon

noun

gor·​gon ˈgȯr-gən How to pronounce gorgon (audio)
1
capitalized : any of three snake-haired sisters in Greek mythology whose appearance turns the beholder to stone
2
: an ugly or repulsive woman
Gorgonian adjective

Did you know?

The Gorgons were three monstrous sisters in Greek mythology, the most famous of whom was Medusa. They had snakes for hair, and anyone who looked directly at them was immediately turned to stone. Medusa herself was finally beheaded by the hero Perseus, who avoided looking straight at her by instead watching her reflection in his mirrorlike shield. Today the familiar types of jellyfish, with long snakelike tentacles descending from their headlike bodies, are known as medusas.

Examples of gorgon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The East Coast socialites Capote fawns over are lacquered gorgons (for whom the show occasionally sheds crocodile tears, as in the case of Paley’s cancer diagnosis); the Hollywood crowd that takes him in is tasteless lightweights. Mike Hale, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 Playwright Kenny Hahn delves into the human side of the famous gorgon. John Coffren, Baltimore Sun, 9 Feb. 2023 Instead of an evil monster, Haynes’s Medusa is a beloved gorgon sister with a keen intellect and a curiosity about the human world. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023 The premise features Frankenstein’s monster teaming up with a werewolf, a vampire and a gorgon to fight Nazis in World War II. Adam B. Vary, Variety, 31 Jan. 2023 Georgie Farmer plays Ajax, a gorgon who can turn people into stone. Jasmine Washington, Seventeen, 1 Dec. 2022 Kennedy will guest star as Medusa, the infamous gorgon. Joe Otterson, Variety, 13 Oct. 2022 Cherry Jones pops in for a brief moment as Vivi's mother, a semi-gorgon who seems deeply terrorized by Vivi's father (David Rasche). Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, 10 June 2022 Gone are the days when Kratos, the protagonist of Sony’s top franchise, slaughters and grunts his way through endless hordes of minotaurs and gorgons. Popular Science, 13 Apr. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gorgon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin Gorgon-, Gorgo, from Greek Gorgōn

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gorgon was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near gorgon

Cite this Entry

“Gorgon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gorgon. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Gorgon

noun
Gor·​gon
ˈgȯr-gən
: any of three snaky-haired sisters in Greek mythology capable of turning to stone anyone who looked at them

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