Category:Basilisk

Bas"i*lisk, n. Etym: [L. basiliscus, Gr. little king, kind of serpent, dim. of king; -- so named from some prominences on the head resembling a crown.]

1. A fabulous serpent, or dragon. The ancients alleged that its hissing would drive away all other serpents, and that its breath, and even its look, was fatal. See Cockatrice. Make me not sighted like the basilisk. Shak.

2. (Zoöl.)

Defn: A lizard of the genus Basiliscus, belonging to the family Iguanidæ.

Note: This genus is remarkable for a membranous bag rising above the occiput, which can be filled with air at pleasure; also for an elevated crest along the back, that can be raised or depressed at will.

3. (Mil.)

Defn: A large piece of ordnance, so called from its supposed resemblance to the serpent of that name, or from its size. [Obs.]

---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Basilisk - (in R.V., Isaiah 11:8; Isaiah 14:29; Isaiah 59:5; Jeremiah 8:17), the "king serpent," as the name imports; a fabulous serpent said to be three spans long, with a spot on its head like a crown. Probably the yellow snake is intended. (See COCKATRICE.)