Meanings
hydra1
plural hydras · plural hydrae · plural hydræ
- fantasyA dragon-like creature with many heads and the ability to regrow them when maimed.
- biologyAny of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera, having a naked cylindrical body and an oral opening surrounded by tentacles.
- figurativelyA complex, multifarious problem or situation that cannot be easily and rapidly solved.
1 more example
Because the statute is so vaguely worded, award decisions are habitually based on case law, the growing mountain of which is a hydra 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.
2009, Kris Frieswick, Till Death Do Us Pay
Hydra2
- Greekhuman sciencesA mythological serpent with many heads, slain by Hercules as one of his twelve labours.
- astronomyA spring constellation of the northern sky, said to resemble a serpent. It lies just south of the zodiac and contains the star Alphard.
At night I lie dry-eyed on my little bed and turn my head to and fro to catch sight of one little star by one little star along the tail of Hydra, and think you are alive, you survive. Is this not what you wanted?
2021, A. K. Blakemore, The Manningtree Witches, Granta Books, page 232 - One of the Saronic Islands in the Aegean Sea.
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounOne of Pluto's moons.
More synonyms by meaning
noun(Greek mythology) monster with nine heads; when struck off each head was replaced by two new ones
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
hydra · noun
After the Hydra, from Greek mythology, which grew two new heads every time one of its heads was cut off. The biology sense alludes to the budding method of asexual 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 a Gordian knot).
Full word history & related roots →Hydra · proper noun
- Proto-Indo-European*údreh₂“aquatic”
- Ancient Greekὕδρα
- LatinHydra
- EnglishHydra
From Latin Hydra, the mythical serpent, originally from Ancient Greek ὕδρα (húdra), from Proto-Indo-European *údreh₂ (“aquatic”). Doublet of otter.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Proto-Indo-European
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὕδρα, Ὕδρα
- ὕδρα (húdra)mythical serpent
- Ὕδρα (Húdra)constellation
Arabic هِيدْرَا, حَيَّة الْمِيَاه
- هِيدْرَا (hīdrā)one of Pluto's moons
- حَيَّة الْمِيَاهconstellation
Bulgarian хи́дра, Хидра
- хи́дра (hídra)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Хидра (Hidra)one of Pluto's moons
Catalan Hidra
- Hidraone of Pluto's moons
Chinese Mandarin 水螅, 冥衛三 /冥卫三
- 水螅 (shuǐxī)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- 冥衛三 /冥卫三 (Míngwèisān)one of Pluto's moons
- 九頭蛇 /九头蛇 (Jiǔtóushé)mythical serpent
- 海德拉 (Hǎidélā)mythical serpent
- 許德拉 /许德拉 (Xǔdélā)mythical serpent
- 長蛇座 /长蛇座 (Chángshézuò)constellation
Czech nezmar, Hydra
- nezmarany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
- Hydraconstellation
- souhvězdí Hydryconstellation
Danish Hydra, Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
Dutch Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Esperanto Hidro, hidro
- Hidroone of Pluto's moons
- hidromythical serpent
- Hidroconstellation
Finnish lampipolyyppi, ongelmavyyhti
- lampipolyyppiany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- ongelmavyyhticomplex, multifarious problem
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
- Vesikäärmeconstellation
French hydre, Hydra
- hydreany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydreone of Pluto's moons
- Hydre de Lernemythical serpent
- Hydreconstellation
German Hydra, Hydra
- Hydraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
- Wasserschlangeconstellation
Greek Ύδρα, Λερναία Ύδρα
- Ύδρα (Ýdra)one of Pluto's moons
- Λερναία Ύδρα (Lernaía Ýdra)mythical serpent
- Ύδρα (Ýdra)constellation
Hindi हाएड्रा
- हाएड्रा (hāeḍrā)one of Pluto's moons
Hungarian hidra, Hydra
- hidraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Irish Hydra, Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
- an Phéist Uisceconstellation
Italian Idra, Idra di Lerna
- Idraone of Pluto's moons
- Idra di Lernamythical serpent
- Idraconstellation
Japanese ヒドラ, ヒドラ
- ヒドラ (hidora)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- ヒドラ (Hidora)one of Pluto's moons
- ヒュドラー (Hyudorā)mythical serpent
- 海蛇座 (Umihebi-za)constellation
- うみへび座 (Umihebi-za)constellation
Korean 히드라, 히드라
- 히드라 (hideura)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- 히드라 (Hideura)one of Pluto's moons
- 바다뱀자리 (Badabaemjari)constellation
Latin hydra, Hydra
- hydraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- hydramythical serpent
- Hydraconstellation
- Anguisconstellation
Lithuanian Hidra
- Hidraone of Pluto's moons
Malay Ular
- Ularconstellation
Māori hurumoana
- hurumoanaany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
Norwegian Bokmål Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Persian هیدرا
- هیدراone of Pluto's moons
Polish stułbia, Hydra
- stułbiaany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
- Hydramythical serpent
- Hydraconstellation
Portuguese hidra, bicho de sete cabeças
- hidraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- bicho de sete cabeçascomplex, multifarious problem
- Hidraone of Pluto's moons
- Hidra de Lernamythical serpent
- Hidramythical serpent
- Hidraconstellation
Romanian hidră, Hydra
- hidrăany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Russian ги́дра, Ги́дра
- ги́дра (gídra)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Ги́дра (Gídra)one of Pluto's moons
- Лерне́йская ги́дра (Lernéjskaja gídra)mythical serpent
- Ги́дра (Gídra)constellation
Slovak Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Spanish hydra, Hidra
- hydraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hidraone of Pluto's moons
- Hidra de Lernamythical serpent
- Hydraconstellation
Swedish hydra
- hydraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
Tagalog idra
- idraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
Thai ไฮดรา
- ไฮดรา (hai-draa)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
Turkish hidra, Hydra
- hidraany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Ukrainian гі́дра, Гі́дра
- гі́дра (hídra)any of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Гі́дра (Hídra)one of Pluto's moons
Vietnamese thuỷ tức, Hydra
- thuỷ tứcany of several small freshwater polyps of the genus Hydra and related genera
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Welsh Hydra
- Hydraone of Pluto's moons
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
hydra. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydra
“hydra.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydra. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hydra,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hydra.
Source: hydra on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.