cockatrice

C1 Topic:Animals
US /ˈkɒkətɹaɪs/ UK /ˈkɒkətɹaɪs/
noun Freq #215227

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a legendary monster with features of a rooster and serpent, traditionally said to kill with its gaze

    The manuscript depicts a cockatrice with a rooster's head and a serpent's body.

Thesaurus

Word family
Derived forms chickatrice
Related forms cockentrice

Etymology

First attested 1382 as Middle English cocatrice (“basilisk”), from Old French cocatriz, from Late Latin calcātrīx (“she who treads upon something”), from Latin calcō (“tread”), from calx (“heel, hoof”).

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