Dictionary

basilisk en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈbæzɪlɪsk/
• /ˈbæsɪlɪsk/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English basilicke, borrowed from Old French basilique, from Latin basiliscus, from Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος (basilískos, literally “minor king or chieftain”), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king”), possibly based on descriptions or rare encounters with different types of cobra which have crown-like patterns on their head; the 'deadly gaze' may have been from the spitting cobra's ability to spit venom into the eyes of predators or prey from a distance. The infohazard sense is a figurative reference to the deadly gaze of the mythical creature. Displaced native Old English fāgwyrm.

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Suggesting a basilisk (snake-like dragon): baleful, spellbinding.
   • her gaze became more basilisk in its expression, and her countenance bore some similitude to that of a handsome fiend 1884, M. L. O'Byrne, Ill-won Peerages, Or, An Unhallowed Union, page 126:
   • Well, She is so basilisk; there's no death in her eyes […] 1870, The British drama: illustrated, volume 4, page 997:
   • He had never seen her quite like this, so basilisk, so frightening 2004, Witi Tame Ihimaera, Whanau II, page 167:

Forms

basilisk en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbæzɪlɪsk/
• /ˈbæsɪlɪsk/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English basilicke, borrowed from Old French basilique, from Latin basiliscus, from Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος (basilískos, literally “minor king or chieftain”), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king”), possibly based on descriptions or rare encounters with different types of cobra which have crown-like patterns on their head; the 'deadly gaze' may have been from the spitting cobra's ability to spit venom into the eyes of predators or prey from a distance. The infohazard sense is a figurative reference to the deadly gaze of the mythical creature. Displaced native Old English fāgwyrm.

Meanings

1. A mythical snake-like dragon, so venomous that even its gaze is deadly.
   • As a revolutionary act of prophecy in an age of political science, Wissenkunst is a unique and anarchic expression of freedom, and not a new and aspiring system of indoctrination. If Wissenkunst is itself turned into political apologetics, then the fabulous plumed serpent is turned into a monster, a basilisk. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 249:
   • the deadly look of the basilisk
   • And without more ado she […] fixed her wonderful eyes upon me - more deadly than any Basilisk's - and pierced me through and through with their beauty, and sent her light laugh ringing through the air like chimes of silver bells. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
   • The queſtion is in vvhat part of this Serpent the poyſon doth lye; Some ſay in the head alone, and that therefore the Bazeliske is deafe, bycauſe the Ayre vvhich ſerueth the Organe of hearing, is reſolued by the intenſiue calidity: but this ſeemeth not to bee true, […] 1608, Edward Topsell, “Of the Cockatrice”, in The Historie of Serpents. Or, The Second Booke of Liuing Creatures: […], London: […] William Jaggard, →OCLC, page 124:
2. A type of dragon used in heraldry.
3. Any tree-dwelling lizard of the genus Basiliscus: the basilisk lizard.
   • As a guide to start your collection we'd suggest either iguanas, tejus, swifts, basilisks, horned toads or alligator lizards. 1965 March, Boys' Life, page 52:
4. A type of large brass cannon.
   • Awake ye men of Memphis, heare the clange / Of Scythian trumpets, heare the Baſiliſkes, / That roaring, ſhake Damaſcus turrets downe, […] c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act IIII, scene i:
5. An infohazard or cognitohazard, especially a Langford's basilisk.
   • A basilisk, in this context, is information that can hurt you simply because you are aware of it. 2019 June 13, Tom Chivers, The AI Does Not Hate You, Orion Publishing Group, →ISBN:

Forms

Deriveds

Langford basilisk · Roko's basilisk · Langford's basilisk · basilisk lizard

Synonyms

cockatrice

Translations (72)

uk василі́ск (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · pl bazyliszek (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · uk василі́ск (snake-like dragon type) · enm basilicke (snake-like dragon type) · es basilisco (type of large brass cannon) · cs bazilišek (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · sl bazilisk (snake-like dragon type) · el βασιλίσκος (snake-like dragon type) · tl basilisko (snake-like dragon type) · ja バシリスク (snake-like dragon type) · pt basilisco (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · enm basilicok (snake-like dragon type) · cy brenhinsarff (snake-like dragon type) · la basiliscus (snake-like dragon type) · ru васили́ск (snake-like dragon type) · ca basilisc (snake-like dragon type) · ru васили́ск (type of large brass cannon) · no basilisk (snake-like dragon type) · ca basilisc (type of large brass cannon) · bg базилиск (snake-like dragon type) · sv basilisk (snake-like dragon type) · gl basilisco (snake-like dragon type) · cmn 蛇尾雞 /蛇尾鸡 (snake-like dragon type) · ast basiliscu (snake-like dragon type) · it basilisco (snake-like dragon type) · el βασιλίσκος (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · pl bazyliszek (snake-like dragon type) · gl basilisco (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · ga baisileasc (snake-like dragon type) · fr basilic (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · pt basilisco (snake-like dragon type) · cy basilisg (snake-like dragon type) · la rēgulus (snake-like dragon type) · lt baziliskas (snake-like dragon type) · hu baziliszkusz (snake-like dragon type) · be васілі́ск (snake-like dragon type) · ar باسيليق (snake-like dragon type) · pt basilisco (type of large brass cannon) · es basilisco (snake-like dragon type) · fr basilic (type of large brass cannon) · it basilisco (type of large brass cannon) · ar بَاسِلِيق (snake-like dragon type) · sv basilisk (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · nl basilisk (snake-like dragon type) · cmn 蛇怪 (snake-like dragon type) · sk bazilišok (snake-like dragon type) · ar بَازِيلِيسْق (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · it basilisco (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · be васілі́ск (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · ru васили́ск (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · nl basilisk (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · ms basilisk (snake-like dragon type) · eo bazilisko (snake-like dragon type) · fr basilic (snake-like dragon type) · fi basiliski (snake-like dragon type) · gl basilisco (type of large brass cannon) · ro vasilisc (snake-like dragon type) · hsb bazilisk (snake-like dragon type) · eo bazilisko (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · cs bazilišek (snake-like dragon type) · fa شاهمار (snake-like dragon type) · ko 바실리스크 (snake-like dragon type) · enm cocatrice (snake-like dragon type) · cmn 巴西利斯克 (snake-like dragon type) · el δράκων (snake-like dragon type) · ca basilisc (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · es basilisco (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · tr basilisk (snake-like dragon type) · fi basiliski (type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)) · nl koningshagedis (snake-like dragon type) · grc βασιλίσκος (snake-like dragon type) · de Basilisk (snake-like dragon type)