Nessus
or Nes·sos
a centaur who, on attempting to seduce Deianira, the wife of Hercules, was shot by Hercules with a poisoned arrow. Before Nessus died, he gave to Deianira the poisoned tunic that ultimately caused Hercules' death.
Words Nearby Nessus
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use Nessus in a sentence
If you use it wisely, it may be Ulysses' hauberk; if you reject it, the shirt of Nessus were a cooler winding-sheet!
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterNessus, before expiring, instructed Dejanira how to prepare a love potion for Hercules.
The Mysteries of All Nations | James GrantBut was it not really deadly as a shirt of Nessus, the poison of which would penetrate her limbs, would creep into her very soul?
Bella Donna | Robert HichensIf it is money, it stings; if it is place and position, it becomes the shirt of Nessus.
The Art of Entertaining | M. E. W. SherwoodIn London however this Centauric school of medicine had not thriven, when the rude Nessus could not heal himself.
Cripps, the Carrier | R. D. (Richard Doddridge) Blackmore
British Dictionary definitions for Nessus
/ (ˈnɛsəs) /
Greek myth a centaur that killed Hercules. A garment dipped in its blood fatally poisoned Hercules, who had been given it by Deianira who thought it was a love charm
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
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