cockatrice

American  

[kok-uh-tris] / ˈkɒk ə trɪs /

noun

1. a legendary monster with a deadly glance, supposedly hatched by a serpent from the egg of a rooster, and commonly represented with the head, legs, and wings of a rooster and the body and tail of a serpent.

2. (in the Bible) a venomous serpent.

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cockatrice British  

/ -ˌtraɪs, ˈkɒkətrɪs /

noun

1. a legendary monster, part snake and part cock, that could kill with a glance

2. another name for basilisk

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Etymology

Origin of cockatrice

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cocatrice, from Middle French cocatris, from Medieval Latin caucātrīces (plural), Latin calcātrīx (unattested), feminine of calcātor (unattested) ”tracker,” equivalent to calcā(re) “to tread,” verbal derivative of calx “heel” + -tor agent suffix; the Latin was a direct translation of Greek word ichneúmōn, having the same meaning. See -trix, -tor, ichneumon

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cockatrice

His enemy is the wesell, who when he goeth to fight with ye cockatrice eateth the herbe commonlye called Rewe, and so in fight byting him he dyeth and the wesell therewith dyeth also.

From The Curiosities of Heraldry by Lower, Mark Antony

So then he made off through the back door of the town, and raced up the hill to tell the cockatrice and ask for his help.

From The Book of Dragons by Fell, H. Granville

And he never once interrupted the cockatrice to ask why.

From The Book of Dragons by Fell, H. Granville

"Matilda, my own dearest girl," he said, "now that that cockatrice has departed, tell me, you don't doubt your Leander, do you?"

From The Tinted Venus A Farcical Romance by Partridge, Bernard

Hence it is of solemn warning to "Kill the cockatrice while yet in the egg."

From Proverb Lore Many sayings, wise or otherwise, on many subjects, gleaned from many sources by Hulme, F. Edward (Frederick Edward)