AUGEAN • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Augean

Add this Dictionary
to your website!
See more options...

Listen

adjective

Augean adj.

(Class. Myth.) Of or pertaining to Augeus, king of Elis, whose stable contained 3000 oxen, and had not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules cleansed it in a single day.

Hence: Exceedingly filthy or corrupt.

Augean stable (Fig.), an accumulation of corruption or filth almost beyond the power of man to remedy.

See images of 'Augean'

Etymology of 'Augean'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

Share |

Add this dictionary
to your browser search bar

"Augean" Quotes from Famous Books

... kind favor of the 15th is received. I heartily agree with you that [no] general movement can be made that will clean out the Augean stable. If the Democracy were overthrown, it would result in giving place to a greater and hungrier swarm ...

— Abraham Lincoln, A History, Volume 2 • John George Nicolay and John Hay

... the Augean task of putting the Manse in order, did not satisfy the gigantic activity of Mr. Touchwood. He aspired to universal dominion in the Aultoun of St. Ronan's; and, like most men of an ardent temper, he contrived, in a great measure, to possess himself of the authority ...

— St. Ronan's Well • Sir Walter Scott

... was the Hercules to whom was to be given the labour of cleaning out the Augean stable of ...

— The Life of Cesare Borgia • Raphael Sabatini

Words linked to "Augean" : unclean, soiled, dirty