Definition

Adjective: * Having snakes for hair: Describes a monstrous being, typically a female creature from mythology, whose hair consists of living, writhing snakes. This characteristic is most famously associated with the Gorgons of Greek myth.

Usage

• The term is used almost exclusively as a descriptive attribute for mythological monsters. It is a compound adjective that directly and vividly depicts a specific, terrifying physical feature.
• It is typically placed before the noun it modifies (attributive position).

Examples

• The hero faced the snake-haired monster in the depths of the cave.
• Legends speak of a snake-haired Gorgon whose gaze could turn men to stone.
• The painting depicted the terrifying visage of the snake-haired creature.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically in literary contexts to describe a person, especially a woman, portrayed as having a vicious, dangerous, or terrifying nature, though this is a figurative and potentially offensive extension.
  • The critic was described as a snake-haired harpy, venomous in her attacks on the author's work.

Variants and Related Words

• Gorgon (noun): In Greek mythology, any of three sisters, especially Medusa, who had snakes for hair and a gaze that turned beholders to stone. "Snake-haired" is a primary descriptor of a Gorgon.
• Medusan (adjective): Pertaining to or resembling Medusa, the most famous Gorgon; often implies a petrifying or terrifying quality.

Synonyms

• Serpent-haired: A direct synonym with identical meaning.
• Ophidian-haired: A more technical, literary synonym using the adjective (relating to snakes).

Related Idioms/Phrases

• A nest of vipers: While not directly related to hair, this idiom describes a group of treacherous or dangerous people, sharing the symbolic use of snakes for danger. It is not a synonym but a related concept.
  • He discovered the corporate board was a nest of vipers.

Adjective

1. (of monsters) having snakes for hair