English Lexicon

Basilisk

/ˈbæs.ɪ.lɪsk/
nounCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14200 frequency
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Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A mythical reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death with a single glance.

    "In ancient mythology, the gaze of the basilisk was said to turn any living creature to stone."
  2. 2

    A tropical American lizard with long hind legs and the ability to run briefly across the surface of water.

    "The emerald basilisk darted across the stream to escape the predator."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Greek basíliskos, meaning 'little king', diminutive of basileús 'king'. In medieval folklore, it referred to a legendary reptile hatched from a cock's egg that could kill with a single glance or breath.

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