| Herculean | a. [ L. herculeus, fr. Hercules: cf. F. herculéen. See Hercules. ] [ 1913 Webster ] 1. Requiring the strength of Hercules; hence, very great, difficult, or dangerous; as, an Herculean task. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. Having extraordinary strength or size; as, Herculean limbs. “Herculean Samson.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Hercules | n. 1. (Gr. Myth.) A hero, fabled to have been the son of Jupiter and Alcmena, and celebrated for great strength, esp. for the accomplishment of his twelve great tasks or “labors.” [ 1913 Webster ] 2. (Astron.) A constellation in the northern hemisphere, near Lyra. [ 1913 Webster ]
Hercules' beetle (Zool.), any species of Dynastes, an American genus of very large lamellicorn beetles, esp. Dynastes hercules of South America, which grows to a length of six inches. --
Hercules powder, an explosive containing nitroglycerin; -- used for blasting. [ 1913 Webster ]
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| Hercules-club | prop. n. 1. (Bot.) A densely spiny ornamental tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis) of the rue family, growing in southeast U. S. and West Indies. [ wns=1 ] It belongs to the same genus as one of the trees (Zanthoxylum Americanum) called prickly ash.
Syn. -- Hercules'-clubs, Hercules-club, Zanthoxylum clava-herculis. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ] 2. A small, prickly, deciduous clump-forming tree or shrub (Aralia spinosa) of eastern U.S.; also called Angelica tree and prickly ash. [ wns=2 ]
Syn. -- American angelica tree, devil's walking stick, Aralia spinosa. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ] 3. A variety of the common gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris). Its fruit sometimes exceeds five feet in length. [ 1913 Webster ] Variants: Hercules'-club, Hercules'-club |
