Gorgonian

American  

[gawr-goh-nee-uhn] / gɔrˈgoʊ ni ən /

noun

1. any of numerous alcyonarian corals of the order Gorgonacea, having a usually branching, horny or calcareous skeleton.

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adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the Gorgonacea.

gorgonian ¹ British  

/ ɡɔːˈɡəʊnɪən /

noun

1. any coral of the order Gorgonacea, having a horny or calcareous branching skeleton: includes the sea fans and red corals

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Gorgonacea

Gorgonian ² British  

/ ɡɔːˈɡəʊnɪən /

adjective

1. of or resembling a Gorgon

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Etymology

Origin of Gorgonian

1825–35; < New Latin Gorgoni ( a ) genus name ( Gorgon, -ia ) + -an

Example Sentences

In 15 ingenious novels of suspense and intrigue, his protagonists�in Ambler land, there are few heroes�are almost invariably decent, intelligent, well-bred men more or less unwittingly enmeshed in Gorgonian webs of political and financial conspiracy.

From Time Magazine Archive

And Lucy, blushing, starting back, and looking at Perkins in a very melancholy way, made him a little curtsey, and went off to the Gorgonian party with her cousin.

From The Bedford-Row Conspiracy by Thackeray, William Makepeace

Far off from these a flow and silent Stream Lethe the River of Oblivion rolls; Which Medusa with Gorgonian Terror guards.

From An Essay on Criticism by Oldmixon, John

Tritonian Pallas is planted in glittering halo and Gorgonian terror.

From The Aeneid of Virgil by Virgil

Thereon was Strife, thereon Fortitude, and thereon was chilling Pursuit; 228 on it was the Gorgonian head of the dreadful monster, dire, horrible, a portent of ægis-bearing Jove.

From The Iliad of Homer (1873) by Buckley, Theodore Alois