tantalus

== English == === Etymology === From Latin Tantalus, from Ancient Greek Τάνταλος (Tántalos, “Tantalus”), a Phrygian king in Greek mythology who was condemned to stand in a pool of water which receded every time he tried to drink, and with overhanging branches of fruit which pulled back whenever he tried to eat. Doublet of Tantalus. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈtæntələs/ === Noun === tantalus (plural tantaluses) A stork of the genus Mycteria (formerly Tantalus), especially the American wood stork, Mycteria americana. A stand in which to lock up drink decanters while keeping them visible. Something of an evasive or retreating nature, something consistently out of reach; a tantalising thing. ==== Related terms ==== tantalize tantalium, tantalum Tantalus