Trojan Horse (Noun)
Meaning 1
A program that appears desirable but actually contains something harmful; "the contents of a trojan can be a virus or a worm"; "when he downloaded the free game it turned out to be a trojan horse".
Classification
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 2
A subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage; an enemy in your midst.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The mole was discovered to be a Trojan horse, working to bring down the company from within by divulging sensitive information to competitors.
- The far-right extremist group was seen as a Trojan horse, using their charity work as a front to recruit and fund their violent activities.
- The company's IT department was compromised by a Trojan horse, allowing hackers to gain access to the entire network and steal sensitive data.
- The whistleblower was accused of being a Trojan horse, working to discredit the organization from within by leaking confidential documents to the press.
- The spy was a Trojan horse, posing as a loyal citizen while secretly working to undermine the government and advance the interests of a foreign power.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
A large hollow wooden figure of a horse (filled with Greek soldiers) left by the Greeks outside Troy during the Trojan War.
Classification
Nouns denoting man-made objects.
Examples
- The idea of the Trojan horse was to deceive the Trojans into dragging the statue into their city, unaware of the hidden warriors inside.
- Legend has it that the Trojan horse was constructed by the cunning Greek hero Odysseus to infiltrate the well-fortified city of Troy.
- When the Trojans wheeled the Trojan horse into their city, they were unaware that they had just welcomed in their downfall.
- The massive Trojan horse, which stood several stories tall, was left outside the gates of Troy as a supposed gift to the city's inhabitants.
- As night fell, the Greek warriors emerged from the hollow belly of the Trojan horse and opened the gates of Troy, allowing their comrades to flood inside.