What does "basilisk" mean?
A mythical snake-like dragon, so venomous that even its gaze is deadly.
Basilisk
/ˈbæzɪlɪsk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A mythical snake-like dragon, so venomous that even its gaze is deadly.
- Grammar: basilisk is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: cockatrice, jesus lizard, legendary serpent, monstrous reptile.
- Useful contrasts: fictional creature, imaginary animal, mythical creature.
- Usage evidence: The basilisk lizard is able to run on the surface of the water without sinking.
How to use "basilisk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "basilisk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "basilisk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "basilisk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "basilisk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "basilisk" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cockatrice" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "basilisk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A mythical snake-like dragon, so venomous that even its gaze is deadly.
"the deadly look of the basilisk"
- 2 small crested arboreal lizard able to run on its hind legs; of tropical America wordnet
- 3 A type of dragon used in heraldry.
- 4 ancient brass cannon wordnet
- 5 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."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 (classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance wordnet
- 7 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, […]"
- 8 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."
Adjective
- 1 Suggesting a basilisk (snake-like dragon): baleful, spellbinding. not-comparable
"Well, She is so basilisk; there's no death in her eyes […]"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
fictional creatureimaginary animalmythical creaturereal animal
Example
"The basilisk lizard is able to run on the surface of the water without sinking."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "basilisk"?
Common synonyms include: cockatrice, jesus lizard, legendary serpent, monstrous reptile, mythical creature, tropical lizard.
How do you use "basilisk" in a sentence?
The basilisk lizard is able to run on the surface of the water without sinking.
How do you pronounce "basilisk"?
Pronounced /ˈbæzɪlɪsk/.
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.