Definition of Trojan horse

1. Noun. A subversive group that supports the enemy and engages in espionage or sabotage; an enemy in your midst.

Exact synonyms: Fifth Column
Generic synonyms: Social Unit, Unit
Member holonyms: Fifth Columnist, Saboteur

2. Noun. A program that appears desirable but actually contains something harmful. "When he downloaded the free game it turned out to be a trojan horse"
Exact synonyms: Trojan
Generic synonyms: Malevolent Program

3. Noun. A large hollow wooden figure of a horse (filled with Greek soldiers) left by the Greeks outside Troy during the Trojan War.
Exact synonyms: Wooden Horse
Generic synonyms: Figure
Geographical relationships: Ellas, Greece, Hellenic Republic

Definition of Trojan horse

1. Noun. (''Greek legend'') a hollow wooden horse by which the Greeks gained access to Ilium or Troy. ¹

2. Noun. (context: by extension) a subversive person or device placed within the ranks of the enemy ¹

3. Noun. (computing) a malicious program that is disguised as legitimate software ¹

4. Noun. (context: business) an offer made to lure customers, seeming like a good deal, that has the ultimate effect of extorting large amounts of money from the customer ¹

5. Noun. (context: politics) a person, organization, social movement, legislation, or ideology with a negative agenda or evil intentions under the guise of positive values or good intentions ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Lexicographical Neighbors of Trojan Horse

Troglodytes troglodytes
Troglodytidae
Troglotrema salmincola
Trogonidae
Trogoniformes
Troic
Troisier
Troisier's ganglion
Troisier's node
Trojan
Trojan-horse
Trojan Horse
Trojan War
Trojan asteroid
Trojan asteroids
Trojan horse (current term)
Trojan horses
Trojan moon
Trojan moons
Trojan planet
Trojan planets
Trojan point
Trojan points
Trojans
Trokosi
Trolard
Trolard's vein
Trollius
Trollope
Trollywood

Literary usage of Trojan horse

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. History: Fiction of Science? by Anatoly Fomenko (2005)
"The mediaeval aqueduct and the "ancient" Trojan horse 49a. The Trojan War. The fall of Troy was preceded by a long and unsuccessful siege. ..."

2. Guide to Understanding Discretionary Access Control in Trusted Systems by Carole S. Jordan (1987)
"An example of the workings of a Trojan horse will illustrate how most DAC mechanisms are vulnerable. Reference [6] contains such an example, ..."

3. Narratives of State Trials in the Nineteenth Century: First Period : from by George Lathom Browne (1882)
"THE LIBELS OF THE Trojan horse, AND THE ANTI-JACOBIN. FEBRUARY 1804 TO NOVEMBER 1805. THE conduct of the Irish Government in connexion with Emmet's insane ..."

4. Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition by Charles Godfrey Leland (1892)
"ANS, VULCAN, AND THE Trojan horse. refers especially to a dryad, or spirit of an oak. ... Trojan horse."

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