\Her"cu*les\, n.
1. (Gr. Myth.) A hero, fabled to have been the son of Jupiter
   and Alcmena, and celebrated for great strength, esp. for
   the accomplishment of his twelve great tasks or
   ``labors.''
2. (Astron.) A constellation in the northern hemisphere, near
   Lyra.
{Hercules' beetle} (Zo["o]l.), any species of {Dynastes}, an
   American genus of very large lamellicorn beetles, esp. {D.
   hercules} of South America, which grows to a length of six
   inches.
{Hercules' club}. (Bot.)
   (a) An ornamental tree of the West Indies ({Zanthoxylum
       Clava-Herculis}), of the same genus with the prickly
       ash.
   (b) A variety of the common gourd ({Lagenaria vulgaris}).
       Its fruit sometimes exceeds five feet in length.
   (c) The Angelica tree. See under {Angelica}.
{Hercules powder}, an explosive containing nitroglycerin; --
   used for blasting.