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Gargoyle vs Gorgon - What's the difference?

gargoyle | gorgon |

As nouns the difference between gargoyle and gorgon

is that gargoyle is a carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters while gorgon is a vicious female monster from Greek mythology with sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes.

As an adjective gorgon is

like a gorgon; very ugly or terrifying.

gargoyle

Noun

(en noun)
  • A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.
  • * 1906 , , The Trampling of the Lilies? , page 110
  • From between set teeth came now a flow of oaths and imprecations as steady as the flow of water from the gargoyle overhead.
  • Any decorative carved grotesque figure on a building.
  • A fictional winged monster.
  • * 2005 , Mel Odom, The Secret Explodes? , page 200
  • Almost immediately one of the gargoyles' swept down from the sky and attacked him. The ' gargoyle' s momentum drove them both over the side.
  • (slang, pejorative) An ugly woman.
  • Synonyms

    * (any decorative carved grotesque figure) grotesque, hunky punk * (ugly woman) crone, hag

    Derived terms

    *gargoylish

    gorgon

    English

    (wikipedia gorgon)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Like a gorgon ; very ugly or terrifying.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Greek mythology) A vicious female monster from Greek mythology with sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes.
  • An intimidating, ugly, or disgusting woman; anything hideous or horrid.
  • (Milton)
  • :"Swilling martinis and spewing venom, Phyllis is a particularly unappetizing gorgon , telling us at one point that an acquaintance of hers is aroused by the Heimlich maneuver." — Washington Post , July 1, 2005
  • References

    * Chambers's Etymological Dictionary , 1896, p. 208

    See also

    * Medusa