noun
- plural of cockatrice; legendary serpents or dragons hatched by serpents from cocks’ eggs, said to kill with a glance
Usage: mythology; archaic
Examples
- The medieval bestiary described cockatrices as deadly creatures with the head of a rooster and the tail of a serpent.
- In heraldry, cockatrices often appeared on coats of arms as symbols of terror.
- The fantasy novel featured cockatrices guarding the ancient treasure.
- According to legend, cockatrices could only be killed by weasels or by seeing their own reflection.
- The tapestry depicted knights battling fearsome cockatrices in an enchanted forest.