Serbonian Bog

English

Alternative forms

  • Sirbonian Bog

Etymology

Semantic loan from Latin Sirbonis Lacus, from Ancient Greek Σιρβωνίδος λίμνη (Sirbōnídos límnē).

Proper noun

the Serbonian Bog

  1. A wetland in Egypt, famed for falsely appearing to be solid land.
    1. (by extension) An inextricable situation.
      • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
        A gulf profound as that Serbonian bog […]
        Where armies whole have sunk.
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