Word of the Day: April 3, 2009 ~ basilisk

basilisk (bas-uh-lisk, baz-) - noun

A basilisk is a mythical creature, usually depicted as a reptile, serpent, lizard, or dragon. It is one of the most feared of the mythological beasts because it is capable of killing by its breath or a single glance.

The word stems from the Greek βασιλίσκος basiliskos, which translates as "a kind of serpent."

In French, basilique is the name for the beast; and in Latin it is called basiliscus. Both of these seemed to have influenced the English version that we know today.