BASILISK

Basilisk

In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk is a legendary reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length," that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal; its weakness is in the odor of the weasel, which, according to Pliny, was thrown into the basilisk's hole, recognizable because all the surrounding shrubs and grass had been scorched by its presence. It is possible that the legend of the ...

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Basilisk
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

basilisk

Noun

  1. A mythical (and heraldic) snake-like dragon type, reputed to be so venomous that its gaze was deadly.
    The deadly look of the basilisk
  2. In heraldry, a type of dragon
  3. A treedwelling type of lizard, of genus .
  4. A type of large brass cannon.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: basilisk
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!