(n.) A fabulous serpent, or dragon. The ancients alleged that its hissing would drive away all other serpents, and that its breath, and even its look, was fatal. See Cockatrice.
(n.) A lizard of the genus Basiliscus, belonging to the family Iguanidae.
(n.) A large piece of ordnance, so called from its supposed resemblance to the serpent of that name, or from its size.
Example Sentences:
(1) And if he thinks he detects one lobbed in the guise of a question about his personal convictions, those black eyes petrify it mid-flight with a basilisk glower.
(2) But the west has become in their eyes, not a set of specific nations responsible for specific acts, but an almost mythical, all-encompassing monster, the modern version of the chimera or basilisk, the source of all manner of horror and dread.
Heraldry
Definition:
(n.) The art or office of a herald; the art, practice, or science of recording genealogies, and blazoning arms or ensigns armorial; also, of marshaling cavalcades, processions, and public ceremonies.
Example Sentences:
(1) These appear to be the first use of this medically significant bird in modern heraldry.
(2) Bungie has taken in a range of influences from medieval warfare and heraldry to retro sci-fi and hasn’t held back on wacky ideas.
(3) The display of hands in heraldry provides a graphic reminder of both the origins and development of medical institutions, and of certain aspects of the functional anatomy of the hand--aspects which are of importance to the surgeon who deals with the injured hand.