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basilisk

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
bas·i·lisk  (bs-lsk, bz-)
n.
1. A legendary serpent or dragon with lethal breath and glance.
2. Any of various tropical American lizards of the genus Basiliscus, characterized by a crest on the head, back, and tail and the ability to run on the hind legs.

[Middle English, from Old French basilisc, from Latin basiliscus, from Greek basiliskos, diminutive of basileus, king.]

basilisk [ˈbæzɪˌlɪsk]
n
1. (Myth & Legend / Classical Myth & Legend) (in classical legend) a serpent that could kill by its breath or glance
2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any small arboreal semiaquatic lizard of the genus Basiliscus of tropical America: family Iguanidae (iguanas). The males have an inflatable head crest, used in display
3. (Military / Firearms, Gunnery, Ordnance & Artillery) a 16th-century medium cannon, usually made of brass
[from Latin basiliscus, from Greek basiliskos royal child, from basileus king]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.basilisk - (classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glancebasilisk - (classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance
classical mythology - the system of mythology of the Greeks and Romans together; much of Roman mythology (especially the gods) was borrowed from the Greeks
mythical creature, mythical monster - a monster renowned in folklore and myth
2.basilisk - ancient brass cannon
cannon - a large artillery gun that is usually on wheels
3.basilisk - small crested arboreal lizard able to run on its hind legs; of tropical America
iguanid, iguanid lizard - lizards of the New World and Madagascar and some Pacific islands; typically having a long tail and bright throat patch in males
Basiliscus, genus Basiliscus - a reptile genus of Iguanidae
Translations
basilisk [ˈbæzɪlɪsk] Nbasilisco m
basilisk
n (Myth, Zool) → Basilisk m


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Art thou come, by chance, cruel basilisk of these mountains, to see if in thy presence blood will flow from the wounds of this wretched being thy cruelty has robbed of life; or is it to exult over the cruel work of thy humours that thou art come; or like another pitiless Nero to look down from that height upon the ruin of his Rome in embers; or in thy arrogance to trample on this ill-fated corpse, as the ungrateful daughter trampled on her father Tarquin's?
The basilisk had a bad eye, and its glance was fatal.
There is the country of the Amazons, and the country of the dwarfs, and the country of the fair but evil women who slay with beholding, like the basilisk.
 
 
 
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