hydra
hydra Lexical Profile
hydra Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A multi-headed water serpent in Greek and Roman mythology that grew two new heads for each one cut off, famously slain by the hero Hercules.
"The warrior realized too late that cutting off a head of the hydra would only make the beast stronger."
A minute freshwater invertebrate belonging to the phylum Cnidaria, characterized by a tubular body, a ring of tentacles around its mouth, and remarkable regenerative abilities.
"Under the microscope, the students watched the translucent hydra capture small plankton with its stinging tentacles."
A persistent, multifaceted problem or evil that cannot be eradicated by a single effort and seems to multiply when opposed.
"Systemic corruption proved to be a political hydra; whenever one corrupt official was arrested, two more took their place."
• Rhymes for hydra
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'hydra', borrowed from ancient Greek 'hudra' (water serpent), derived from 'hudōr' meaning 'water'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.