Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A serpent hatched from a cock's egg and having the power to kill by its glance.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A fabulous monster reputed to be hatched by a serpent from a cock's egg, represented as possessing characters belonging to both animals, and supposed to have the power of killing by the glance of its eye; a basilisk.
  • noun A loose woman.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A fabulous serpent whose breath and look were said to be fatal. See Basilisk.
  • noun (Her.) A representation of this serpent. It has the head, wings, and legs of a bird, and tail of a serpent.
  • noun (Script.) A venomous serpent which which cannot now be identified.
  • noun Any venomous or deadly thing.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A legendary creature about the size and shape of a dragon or wyvern, but in appearance resembling a giant rooster, with some lizard-like characteristics.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun monster hatched by a reptile from a cock's egg; able to kill with a glance

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English cocatrice, basilisk, from Old French cocatris, from Medieval Latin cocātrīx, cocātrīc-, possibly alteration of calcātrīx (translation of Greek ikhneumōn, tracker), from Latin calcāre, to track, from calx, calc-, heel.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

First attested 1382, from Old French cocatris, from Late Latin calcātrīx ("she who treads upon something"), from Latin calcō ("tread"), from calx ("heel, hoof").

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Examples

  • A cockatrice is a Dragon with a Crown on his head, and hatched by a Viper on a Cock's Egg. The Viper was the Symbol of

    Annotations 2007

  • A cockatrice is a serpent, often identified with the basilisk; it is said to be able to kill by its glance alone and to be hatched from a cock's egg.

    Annotations 2007

  • Also known as a cockatrice, the basilisk is generally a variety of cock with a serpent’s tail and eight legs, and sometimes bearing scales instead of feathers.

    Eaters Of The Dead Crichton, Michael, 1942- 1976

  • "cockatrice" (literally, "viper's offspring," as Philistia would regard him), namely, Hezekiah awaits you (2Ki 18: 8).

    Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible 1871

  • Discussing the "cockatrice" of Scripture, he tells us: "He drieth and burneth leaves with his touch, and he is of so great venom and perilous that he slayeth and wasteth him that nigheth him without tarrying; and yet the weasel overcometh him, for the biting of the weasel is death to the cockatrice.

    A History of the warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom 1896

  • Like a basilisk or cockatrice it is, speaking of magical, wonderful animals.

    magical wonderful animal | clusterflock 2009

  • So in the dragon books I have faeries and giants and basilisks which kill by a glance but bear no physical resemblance to the mythological cockatrice.

    Archive 2010-04-01 Freedomstar 2010

  • So in the dragon books I have faeries and giants and basilisks which kill by a glance but bear no physical resemblance to the mythological cockatrice.

    Graham Edwards Interview Freedomstar 2010

  • Lyrics like “The stony hiss of cockatrice has cast us into serfdom” are sung over looped violin, chirpy synths and a 50-piece string orchestra from Prague.

    Owen Pallett – Heartland | BUZZGRINDER 2010

  •        Out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

    Beautiful Are the Feet: Part Two 2010

Comments

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  • Citation on flyblow.

    October 2, 2008

  • Not to be confused with a cockenthrice.

    November 18, 2008