Added 10 October 2026
hydra
/ˈhaɪdɹə/ noun
In Latin: hydra Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about hydra at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A dragon-like creature with many heads and the ability to regrow them when maimed.
- Any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera, having a naked cylindrical body and an oral opening surrounded by tentacles.
- A complex, multifarious problem or situation that cannot be easily and rapidly solved.
Origin
After the Hydra, from Greek mythology, which grew two new heads every time one of its heads was cut off. The biology sense alludes to the budding method of asexual reproduction that the hydra practices, similar to growing new heads. The figurative sense refers to how the creature could not be killed by a swift, decisive solution (in contrast to a Gordian knot).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)