Hydra

Hydra Definition

Hy·dra (hī′drə)

noun pl. -·dras or -·drae′-drē′

Gr. Myth. the nine-headed serpent slain by Hercules as one of his twelve labors: when any one of its heads is cut off, it is replaced by two others
a long S constellation between Cancer and Libra: the largest constellation
any persistent or ever-increasing evil with many sources and causes
any of a family (Hydridae) of small, freshwater, solitary hydroids having a dominant soft-bodied polyp stage

Etymology: ME ydre (< OFr < L), ydra < L Hydra < Gr, water serpent, akin to hydōr, water

Hydra Usage Examples

Converse of object

head: Why were there no animals like stools with three legs, or armchairs that sing like birds, or seven headed hydras?

Adjective modifier

many-headed: Be like a many-headed hydra, flexible, changing tack and tactics all the time.
green: From the author's garden pond in December: Live green hydra with bud, or should that be buddy, in cell slide.
live: Above right: Video - live green hydra, 60x.

Modifies a noun

server: Figure 1.6 shows the same view of the hydra server from the Windows NT 4.0 Network Neighborhood.

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