an intricate knot tied by Gordius, the king of Phrygia, and cut by the sword of Alexander the Great after he heard that whoever undid it would become ruler of Asia
any very difficult problem; insoluble in its own terms
causing injury or blight; especially affecting with sudden violence or plague or ruin; "the blasting effects of the intense cold on the budding fruit"; "the blasting force of the wind blowing sharp needles of sleet in our faces"; "a ruinous war"
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally; "his mother's death left him in a daze"; "he was numb with shock"
any of various small animals or insects that are pests; e.g. cockroaches or rats; "cereals must be protected from mice and other vermin"; "he examined the child's head for vermin"; "boys in the village have probably been shooting vermin"
lacking in light; not bright or harsh; "a dim light beside the bed"; "subdued lights and soft music"
lacking clarity or distinctness; "a dim figure in the distance"; "only a faint recollection"; "shadowy figures in the gloom"; "saw a vague outline of a building through the fog"; "a few wispy memories of childhood"
make dim or lusterless; "Time had dimmed the silver"
become dim or lusterless; "the lights dimmed and the curtain rose"
switch (a car's headlights) from a higher to a lower beam