First Known Use: 1578
Dictionary
Damocles
noun Dam·o·cles \ˈda-mə-ˌklēz\
Definition of DAMOCLES
: a courtier of ancient Syracuse held to have been seated at a banquet beneath a sword hung by a single hair
— Dam·o·cle·an \ˌda-mə-ˈklē-ən\ adjective
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Origin of DAMOCLES
Latin, from Greek Damoklēs
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