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
in or to a backstage area of a theater; "costumes were changed backstage"
out of view of the public; behind the scenes; "Working backstage to gain political support for his proposal"; "many private deals were made backstage at the convention"
a bewildering profusion; "the duties of citizenship are lost sight of in the wilderness of interests of individuals and groups"; "a wilderness of masts in the harbor"
a wild and uninhabited area left in its natural condition; "it was a wilderness preserved for the hawks and mountaineers"
a wooded region in northeastern Virginia near Spotsylvania where inconclusive battles were fought in the American Civil War
(politics) a state of disfavor; "he led the Democratic party back from the wilderness"
(Christianity) the abode of Satan and the forces of evil; where sinners suffer eternal punishment; "Hurl'd headlong...To bottomless perdition, there to dwell"- John Milton; "a demon from the depths of the pit"
a cause of difficulty and suffering; "war is hell"; "go to blazes"
any place of pain and turmoil; "the hell of battle"; "the inferno of the engine room"; "when you're alone Christmas is the pits";