Augean stables

Augean stables
Class. Myth.
the stables in which King Augeas kept 3000 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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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Augean stables — noun (Greek mythology) the extremely dirty stables that were finally cleaned by Hercules who diverted two rivers through them • Usage Domain: ↑plural, ↑plural form • Topics: ↑Greek mythology • Instance Hypernyms: ↑stable, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • Augean stables — Au|ge|an sta|bles, the according to ancient Greek stories, the very dirty buildings where a king named Augeas kept thousands of cattle. ↑Hercules was ordered to clean them, and he did this by changing the direction of a river to make the water… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Augean stables —   pl. n. pl. (place in) filthy condition, from King Augean s stables in Greek mythology, uncleaned for thirty years …   Dictionary of difficult words

  • Augean stables — (Greek Mythology) stables of King Augeas in which he kept 3000 oxen and which were not cleaned for 30 years (Hercules cleaned the stables by diverting a river through them) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Augean stables — Auge′an sta′bles n. pl. myt the stables of Augeas, a legendary king of Elis, which had been left filthy for many years: they were cleaned by Hercules, who diverted a river through them …   From formal English to slang

  • Augean stables — /ɔˈdʒiən steɪbəlz/ (say aw jeeuhn staybuhlz) plural noun Greek Legend the, the stables in which a king (Augeas) kept 3000 oxen and which had not been cleaned for thirty years. Hercules accomplished the task in a single day by turning the river… …  

  • cleanse the Augean stables — clean up a large amount of filth or moral corruption, accomplish any large arduous task (as did Hercules when he cleaned the Augean stables) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Augean — Au·ge·an || ɔː dʒɪːən adj. (Greek Mythology) filthy, dirty and corrupt (taken from the story of King Augeas dirty stables which had to be cleaned with a river); resembling the Augean stables that were extremely filthy …   English contemporary dictionary

  • Augean — /aw jee euhn/, adj. 1. resembling the Augean stables in filthiness or degradation. 2. difficult and unpleasant: an Augean chore. [1590 1600; < L Auge(us) of AUGEAS (Gk Augeí(as) + us adj. suffix) + AN] * * * …   Universalium

  • Augean — Au•ge•an [[t]ɔˈdʒi ən[/t]] adj. 1) resembling the Augean stables; filthy; rotten 2) difficult and unpleasant: an Augean chore[/ex] • Etymology: 1590–1600; < L Augē(us) of Augeas (< Gk Augeíās) + an I …   From formal English to slang

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