Augean stables

[ aw-jee-uhn stey-buhlz ]

/ ɔˈdʒi ən ˈsteɪ bəlz /

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plural noun Classical Mythology.

the stables in which King Augeas kept 3,000 oxen, and which had not been cleaned for 30 years. The cleaning of these stables was accomplished by Hercules, who diverted the river Alpheus through them.

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Origin of Augean stables

First recorded in 1590–1600

Words nearby Augean stables

au fond, auf Wiedersehen, aug., Auge, Augean, Augean stables, Augeas, augen, augend, auger, auger bit

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Augean stables in a sentence

The five-year-old mare is one of five horses from different stables who failed drugs tests in recent weeks.
Queen's Horse Which Tested Positive For Morphine Could Have Eaten Poppy Seeds|Tom Sykes|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had to chase the chickens back into the coop and close the door so I could finish with the Augean Stables of the chicken pen.
What Did TJ Mean By “Pursuit of Happiness,” Anyway?|P. J. O’Rourke|June 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He repeated an earlier promise to tour the stables at some point before the City Council voted on a ban.
Central Park’s Carriages Saved This Horse|Michael Daly|April 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She also loved scoring goals in soccer, volunteering at local horse stables, and going on grueling hikes.
Audrie Pott Suicide: Dead After Inauguration Day|Michael Daly|April 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

The author excoriates excessive investment in riding sports and stables.
The Sad Fate of ‘Downton Abbey’ Estates: ‘Felling the Ancient Oaks’|Anthony Paletta|June 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was not until 1842 when part of the Royal Hotel stables were taken down, that it was made its present width.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
The atmosphere of the stables and the breath of the blue grass paddock revived in her memory and lingered in her nostrils.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
But, of course, if you're longing to show each other the stables or anything—(with a wave of the hand) pray show.
First Plays|A. A. Milne
To manure made in livery stables a different rule applies and the tenant can remove it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
Some he ordered off to the stables to get horses, for if Garnache had survived his leap and swum the moat, they must give chase.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for Augean stables

Augean stables

pl n

Greek myth the stables, not cleaned for 30 years, where King Augeas kept 3000 oxen. Hercules diverted the River Alpheus through them and cleaned them in a day

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Augean stables

Augean stables

[ (aw-jee-uhn) ]

Stables that figured in the Greek myth of the Labors of Hercules. The stables, which belonged to King Augeas, housed a large herd of cattle and had not been cleaned for years. Hercules was ordered to clean out these filthy stalls. He did so by diverting the course of two rivers so that they flowed through the stables.