snake-haired
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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
- (of monsters) having snakes for hair