hydra

n. a monster from Greek stories with many heads that grow back if they are cut off.

n. a multi-headed serpent in Greek mythology, specifically the Lernaean Hydra, which regrew two heads for every one severed.

“In the old stories, Hercules had to fight the Hydra as one of his difficult tasks.”

“The myth of the Hydra serves as a classic archetype for an adversary that becomes more formidable with every attempt to destroy it.”

Literary

n. a difficult situation or problem that is hard to solve because it keeps growing or changing.

n. a multifarious or persistent problem that is difficult to eradicate because new obstacles appear as soon as old ones are resolved.

“The drug trade is a hydra; as soon as one route is closed, three more open up.”

“The bureaucracy had become a hydra, where every attempt at simplification only seemed to generate a fresh layer of complex regulations.”

Academic · Formal

n. a tiny animal that lives in fresh water and has long tentacles around its mouth.

n. any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra, characterized by a cylindrical body and tentacles used for capturing prey.

“The students used microscopes to watch the hydra move its tentacles in the pond water.”

“Biologists study the hydra for its remarkable regenerative abilities, as it does not appear to age or die of natural causes.”

Technical

n. a large group of stars in the night sky that looks like a long snake.

n. the largest of the 88 modern constellations, representing a water snake and located in the southern celestial hemisphere.

“On a clear night, you can see the long shape of Hydra stretching across the sky.”

“Hydra is notable not only for its immense size but also for containing several interesting deep-sky objects, including the Ghost of Jupiter nebula.”

Technical