Ouroboros

American  

[oor-uh-bur-uhs, oor-oh-bawr-uhs, yoor-] / ˌur əˈbɜr əs, ˌur oʊˈbɔr əs, ˌyʊər- /

Also Uroboros, or ouroboros

noun

1. a representation of a snake or dragon eating its own tail, originating in Ancient Egyptian and Greek iconography and used as a symbolic representation of wholeness, eternity, or death and rebirth.

2. anything that resembles or calls to mind a snake or dragon eating its own tail.

   The arguments and debate about transcendence can all too easily become an Ouroboros of circular logic.

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Etymology

Origin of Ouroboros

First recorded in 1920–25; from Greek ourobóros (drákōn) “tail-devouring (snake),” from our(á) “tail” + -o- ( def. ) + -bóros (noun derivative of bibrṓskein “to devour”); dragon ( def. )

Example Sentences

A well-deserved Oscar followed, along with a supporting role in Disney's "American Born Chinese" adaptation, as the voice of a pangolin in "King Fu Panda 4" and as the MCU's Ouroboros in "Loki."

From Salon • Feb. 7, 2025

By Ke Huy Quan’s account, his starring role as Ouroboros in Season 2 of ‘Loki,’ his MCU debut, was the realization of a dream and the cap to a year filled with triumph.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2024

Ouroboros have their own skill trees and abilities, and they even have a second form you can trigger, but, like with everything else in this game, it’s underexplained.

From The Verge • Jul. 26, 2022

Peter Ibruegger Studio London-based artist and designer Peter Ibruegger introduced Ouroboros, a new range of tiles named after the ancient symbol of eternity: a snake consuming its own tail.

From Architectural Digest • Feb. 13, 2015

He remarked, “The alchemical worm Ouroboros that encircles the world devours itself.”

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson