Basilisk

Webster's Dictionary of the English Language

·noun A lizard of the genus Basiliscus, belonging to the family Iguanidae.

II. Basilisk ·noun A large piece of ordnance, so called from its supposed resemblance to the serpent of that name, or from its size.

III. Basilisk ·noun 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.