Rubicon

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Rubicon \Ru"bi*con\, prop. n. (Anc. geog.)
     A small river which separated Italy from Cisalpine Gaul, the
     province alloted to Julius Caesar.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: By leading an army across this river, contrary to the


           prohibition of the civil government at Rome, Caesar
           precipitated the civil war which resulted in the death
           of Pompey and the overthrow of the senate; hence, the
           phrase
  
     {to pass the Rubicon} or
  
     {cross the Rubicon} signifies to take the decisive step by
        which one is committed to a hazardous enterprise from
        which there is no retreat.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Rubicon
       n 1: the boundary in ancient times between Italy and Gaul;
            Caesar's crossing it with his army in 49 BC was an act
            of war
       2: a line that when crossed permits of no return and typically
          results in irrevocable commitment [syn: {point of no
          return}]

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Rubicon, WI
    Zip code(s): 53078