gorgon
noun
gor·gon ˈgȯr-gən 
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
gȯr-ˈgō-nē-ən
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.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web 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 Pan/Carcosa's companion Nagaina is a gorgon, like the mythological Medusa. Leah Marilla Thomas, refinery29.com, 27 Jan. 2020
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 Pan/Carcosa's companion Nagaina is a gorgon, like the mythological Medusa. Leah Marilla Thomas, refinery29.com, 27 Jan. 2020 Word History
Etymology
Latin Gorgon-, Gorgo, from Greek Gorgōn
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
gorgon
noun
as in harpy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- harpy
- termagant
- harridan
- fishwife
- shrew
- virago
- vixen
- battle-axe
- battle-ax
- fury
- dragon lady
- scold
- carper
- nitpicker
- critic
- faultfinder
- railer
- censurer
- caviler
- caviller
- castigator
- detractor
- derider
- quibbler
- belittler
- pettifogger
- Brewster angle
- Brewster chair
- brewster green
- brewster's angle
- Brewster's booby
- Brewster's law
- brewsterite
- brewsters
- brey
- long tackle
- long time no see
- Long Tom
- long ton
- long tongue
- long underwear
- long vacation
- long view
- long weekend
- long whist
- Long Xuyen
- long yearling
- long-ago
- long-and-short work
- long-and-short-haul clause
- long-billed corella