can of worms
| Dictionary: can of worms |
n. Informal, pl., cans of worms.
A source of unforeseen and troublesome complexity.
| Thesaurus: can of worms |
noun
- A situation that presents difficulty, uncertainty, or perplexity: hornets' nest, issue, problem, question. See easy/hard.
| Idioms: can of worms |
A complex unexpected problem or unsolvable dilemma, as in Tackling the budget cuts is sure to open a can of worms. This expression alludes to a container of bait used for fishing, which when opened reveals an inextricable tangle of worms. [1920s]
| WordNet: can of worms |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
(informal) a source of unpredictable trouble and complexity
| Shopping: can of worms |
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 | scoleciphobia |
| helminthemesis |
| vermian |
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Idioms. The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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Mentioned in
- scoleciphobia
- helminthemesis
- vermian
- helminthophobia (psychology)
- vermiphobia (psychology)
- acanthocephaliasis
- helminthology
- vermination
- helminthic abscess (medicine)
- Larvae (in medicine)
- anthelmintic
- wormed
- Wormser (family name)
- vermiculous
