After theHydra, from Greek mythology, which grew two new heads every time one of its heads was cut off. The biology sense alludes to thebudding method ofasexual reproduction that the hydra practices, similar to growing new heads. The figurative sense refers to how the creature could not be killed by a swift, decisive solution (in contrast to aGordian knot).

• enPR:hī'drə,IPA^(key):/ˈhaɪdɹə/

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hydra (pluralhydrasorhydraeorhydræ)

1. (fantasy) Adragon-like creature with manyheads and the ability to regrow them whenmaimed.
2. (biology) Any of several smallfreshwaterpolyps of the genusHydra and related genera, having a nakedcylindrical body and anoral opening surrounded bytentacles.
3. (figurative) Acomplex,multifarious problem or situation that cannot be solved easily and rapidly.
   • 2009, Kris Frieswick,Till Death Do Us Pay‎^[1]:

     Because the statute is so vaguely worded, award decisions are habitually based on case law, the growing mountain of which is ahydra of rulings that point in so many directions that almost any decision can be defended or overturned on appeal, depending on how smart your lawyer is and which precedent he selects to argue your case.

• brown hydra (Hydra oligactis)
• freshwater hydra (Hydra vulgaris)
• green hydra (Hydra viridissima)
• microhydra (Craspedacusta)

• “*hydra”, inOneLook Dictionary Search.
•  Hydra (genus) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
•  Hydra on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
•  Category:Hydra on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

• Hardy,hardy

Borrowed fromAncient Greekὕδρα(húdra).Doublet ofvydra.

• IPA^(key):[ˈɦɪdra]
• Rhymes:-ɪdra
• Hyphenation:hyd‧ra

hydra f

1. (Greekmythology,Romanmythology, singular only)Hydra, a mythologicalserpent with sevenheads
   • 2010, Jana Eislerová,Staré řecké báje a pověsti‎^[2], Fragment,→ISBN, page21:

     Král nařizoval, aby Herakles zabilhydru, která děsila lidi a ničila kraj kolem města Lernu.

     The king ordered Herakles to killHydra, which had been frightening people and destroying the land around the city of Lerna.

2. somethingmonstrous which is extremelydifficult tofight with (often connected withorganized crime)
   • (Can wedate this quote?),(Please provide the book title or journal name):

     Šéf Útvaru pro odhalování organizovaného zločinu Robert Šlachta popsal veřejnosti, jak vlastně vypadá kauza Nagyová, kmotři a korupčníci. Je to hluboká klientelistickáhydra.

     The boss of the police unit for combating organized crime Robert Šlachta has described to the public how the case of Nagyová, godfathers and bribers appears. It is a deep clientelistichydra.

3. Hydra, a genus ofhydrozoan in familyHydridae
   • 2017, Filip Drlík,Obsahují davy: O mikrobech v nás, kolem nás a o jejich fascinujícím vlivu na náš život‎^[3], Jan Melvil, translation of original by Ed Yong,→ISBN:

     Mytologická hydra terorizovala vesničany svým jedovatým dechem a krví, přičemž skutečnáhydra zabíjí perloočky a korýše pomocí žahavých buněk, z nichž vystřeluje otrávené harpuny.

     (pleaseadd an English translation of this quotation)

• Hydra(serpent)

• (genus Hydra):nezmar

• (genus Hydra):živočichové – regnum;žahavci – phylum;polypovci – class;nezmaři – order;nezmarovití – family

• (genus Hydra):nezmar hvězdnatý,nezmar obecný,nezmar opásaný,nezmar ostropouzdrý,nezmar podélník,nezmar štíhlý,nezmar zelený

• Seehydro-

• “hydra”, inPříruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech),1935–1957
• “hydra”, inSlovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech),1960–1971, 1989

• drahý
• dráhy
• hadry
• hrady

FromAncient Greekὕδρα(húdra).

• (Classical Latin)IPA^(key):/ˈhy.dra/,[ˈhʏd̪rä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical)IPA^(key):/ˈi.dra/,[ˈiːd̪rä]

hydra f (genitivehydrae);first declension (masculinehydrus)

1. A water-snake.

First-declension noun.

• Hydra
• hydrus

• “hydra”, inCharlton T. Lewis (1891)An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "hydra", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’sGlossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “hydra”, inThe Perseus Project (1999)Perseus Encyclopedia‎^[4]
• “hydra”, inHarry Thurston Peck, editor (1898),Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• “hydra”, inWilliam Smith, editor (1854, 1857),A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Learned borrowing fromLatinhydra.Doublet ofnutria andwydra.

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• Rhymes:-ɘdra
• Syllabification:hy‧dra
• Homophone:Hydra

hydra f

1. hydra(any freshwater polyp of the genusHydra)

   Synonym:stułbia

2. (fantasy)hydra(dragon-like creature with many heads and the ability to regrow them when maimed)

   Hypernym:stworzenie

3. (figurative)evil that is difficult toeradicate

   Hypernym:zło

• hydra inWielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• hydra in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• hydry in PWN's encyclopedia