Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Cockatrice |
CockatriceNoun1. Monster hatched by a reptile from a cock's egg; able to kill with a glance. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "cockatrice" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1593. (references) |
Etymology: Cockatrice \Cock"a*trice\ (-tr[imac]s), noun. [Old French expression cocatrice crocodile, French cocatrix, cocatrice. The word is corruption from the same source as English crocodile, but was confused with cock the bird, French coq, whence arose the fable that the animal was produced from cock's egg. See Crocodile.]. (Websters 1913) |
| Domain | Definition |
Bible | Cockatrice the mediaeval name (a corruption of "crocodile") of a fabulous serpent supposed to be produced from a cock's egg. It is generally supposed to denote the cerastes, or "horned viper," a very poisonous serpent about a foot long. Others think it to be the yellow viper (Daboia xanthina), one of the most dangerous vipers, from its size and its nocturnal habits (Isa. 11:8; 14:29; 59:5; Jer. 8:17; in all which the Revised Version renders the Hebrew _tziph'oni_ by "basilisk"). In Prov. 23:32 the Hebrew _tzeph'a_ is rendered both in the Authorized Version and the Revised Version by "adder;" margin of Revised Version "basilisk," and of Authorized Version "cockatrice." Source: Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary. |
Literature | Cockatrice (3 syl.). A monster with the wings of a fowl, tail of a dragon and head of a cock. So called because it was said to be produced from a cock's egg hatched by a serpent. According to legend, the very look of this monster would cause instant death. In consequence of the crest with which the head is crowned, the creature is called a basilisk, from the Greek, basiliskos (a little king). Isaiah says, "The weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den" (xi. 8), to signify that the most noxious animal should not hurt the most feeble of God's creatures. Figuratively, it means an insidious, treacherous person bent on mischief. "They will kill one another by the look, like cockatrices."- Shakespeare: Twelfth Night, iii. 4. Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Bad Man | Villain, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, budmash, caitiff; wretch, reptile, viper, serpent, cockatrice, basilisk, urchin; tiger, monster; devil; (demon); devil incarnate; demon in human shape, Nana Sahib; hellhound, hellcat; rakehell. |
Deceiver | Noun: deceiver; (deceive; ); dissembler, hypocrite; sophist, Pharisee, Jesuit, Mawworm, Pecksniff, Joseph Surface, Tartufe, Janus; serpent, snake in the grass, cockatrice, Judas, wolf in sheep's clothing; jilt; shuffler, stool pigeon. |
Evil doer | Cockatrice, scorpion, hornet. |
Unconformity | Phoenix, chimera, hydra, sphinx, minotaur; griffin, griffon; centaur; saggittary; kraken, cockatrice, wyvern, roc, dragon, sea serpent; mermaid, merman, merfolk; unicorn; Cyclops, "men whose heads do grow beneath their shoulders"; teratology. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Cockatrice |
| Specialty definitions using "cockatrice": Basilisk ♦ Monsters. (references) |
| Domain | Title |
Books | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | BASILISK, n. The cockatrice. A sort of serpent hatched form the egg of a cock. The basilisk had a bad eye, and its glance was fatal. Many infidels deny this creature's existence, but Semprello Aurator saw and handled one that had been blinded by lightning as a punishment for having fatally gazed on a lady of rank whom Jupiter loved. Juno afterward restored the reptile's sight and hid it in a cave. Nothing is so well attested by the ancients as the existence of the basilisk, but the cocks have stopped laying. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Cockatrice" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 66.67% of the time. "Cockatrice" is used about 6 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 66.67% | 4 | 175,879 |
| Lexical Verb (base form) | 33.33% | 2 | 245,945 |
| Total | 100.00% | 6 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day |
cockatrice | 20 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Language | Translations for "cockatrice"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Afrikaans | basilisk (basilisk). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | lugat (basilisk, bogey, boggard, Bogle, fright, hob, hobgoblin, spectre, turn-skin). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | базилиск (basilisk). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | jedovatá zmije. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | slangdraak (basilisk), koningshagedis (basilisk), basilisk (basilisk), basilicus (basilisk). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | فاحشه(م.م.), نوعی مارافسانه ای . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | basilic. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Basilisk (basilisk), basilik. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | μυθολογικόσ όφισ φονεύων δι' απλού βλέμματοσ. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | sárkány (airframe, basilisk, brimstone, dragon, drake, kite, vixen, wyvern), baziliszkusz (basilisk). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | basilisco (basilisk). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | コスト効率 (bowling in a bowling alley that is lit up like a disco with lots of flashing lights, cock, Cocker spaniel, cockney, cockpit, cockroach, cook, coq d'or, cosmetic, cosmetic lens, cosmetics, cosmetology, cosmic, cosmology, cosmonaut, cosmopolis, cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanism, cosmos, cost effectiveness, costume play, cottage, cotton, cox, faucet, glass, Kodak, rough play, spigot, tap). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | コッカトリース . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | aaer nieu. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | ockatricecay serpente (ophidian, serpent, snake, viper), basilisco (basil, sweet basil). (various references) şarpe cu privirea ucigãtoare. (various references) василиск (basilisk). (various references) zmija otrovnica (aspic, viper). (various references) aciano (bachelor's button). (various references) basilisk (basilisk). (various references) horoz yumurtasından çıkan yılan, efsanevi yılan. (various references) василек. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | Period | Translations |
| Latin | 500 BCE-Modern | basiliscum, calcare. (various references) |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Isaiah Chapter 59, Verse 5 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Wa aspidwn errhxan kai iston aracnhV ufainousin kai o mellwn twn wwn autwn fagein suntriyaV ourion euren kai en autw basiliskoV |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Ova aspidum ruperunt et telas araneae texuerunt qui comederit de ovis eorum morietur et quod confotum est erumpet in regulum |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | The eiren of edderes thei to-breeken, and the webbis of an attercop thei wouen; who shal eten of the eiren of hem, shal dien, and that is hacchid, shal breken out in to a cokatrice. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | They give birth to snake's eggs, and make spider's threads: whoever takes their eggs for food comes to his death, and the egg which is crushed becomes a poison-snake. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Isaiah Chapter 59, Verse 5 |
| Cebuano | Sila nagapusa sa mga itlog sa mga bitin, ug nagahan-ay sa balay sa lawa-lawa: kadtong magakaon sa ilang mga itlog mamatay; ug kadtong mapusa mogula ingon nga bitin. |
| Croatian | Legu jaja gujina, tkaju mrežu paukovu; pojede li tko njihovo jaje, umire, razbije li ga, iz njega ljutica izlazi. |
| Danish | Slangeæg ruger de ud, og Spindelvæv er, hvad de væver. Man dør, hvis man spiser et Æg, en Øgle kommer frem, hvis det knuses. |
| Dutch | Zij broeden basiliskus-eieren uit, en zij weven spinnewebben; die van hun eieren eet, moet sterven, en als het in stukken gedrukt wordt, er berst een adder uit. |
| Finnish | Myrkkyliskon munia he hautovat, hämähäkin verkkoja he kutovat; joka niitä munia syö, se kuolee, rikkipoljetusta puhkeaa kyykäärme. |
| French | Il couvent des oeufs de basilic, Et ils tissent des toiles d`araignée. Celui qui mange de leurs oeufs meurt; Et, si l`on en brise un, il sort une vipère. |
| German | Sie brüten Basiliskeneier und wirken Spinnwebe. Ißt man von ihren Eiern, so muß man sterben; zertritt man's aber, so fährt eine Otter heraus. |
| Haitian Creole | Move plan y'ap fè yo tankou pwazon. Si ou pran ladan yo nanpwen rechap. Si ou rive kraze yon move plan y'ap fè, y'ap pare yonn ki pi rèd pou ou. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Rencana-rencanamu yang jahat membawa maut seperti telur ular berbisa. Kalau telur itu dipecahkan, keluarlah ularnya. Rencana itu sama sekali tidak berguna bagimu, seperti pakaian yang ditenun dari sarang laba-laba! |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Mereka itu mengeramkan telur ular tedung dan bertenunkan sarang laba-laba; barangsiapa yang makan dari pada telurnya ia itu akan mati kelak; apabila telur itu ditetas, maka keluarlah seekor ular biludak dari dalamnya. |
| Italian | Dischiudono uova di serpenti velenosi, tessono tele di ragno; chi mangia quelle uova morir , e dall'uovo schiacciato esce una vipera. |
| Maori | E paoa ana e ratou nga hua o te neke, e hanga ana e ratou te whare pungawerewere: ko te tangata e kai ana i a ratou hua ka mate, a ki te kopengia tetahi, ka puta he waipera. |
| Norwegian | Basilisk-egg klekker de ut, og spindelvev vever de; den som eter av deres egg, må dø, og trykkes et i stykker, bryter det frem en huggorm. |
| Portuguese | Chocam ovos de basiliscos, e tecem teias de aranha; o que comer dos ovos deles, morrerá; e do ovo que for pisado sairá uma víbora. |
| Rumanian | Clocesc ouq de basilic wi yes pknze de pqianjen. Cine mqnkncq din ouqle lor, moare; wi dacq se sparge vreunul, iese o nqpkrcq. |
| Russian | ЧЩУЙЦЙЧБАФ ЪНЕЙОЩЕ СК"Б Й ФЛХФ БХФЙОХ; ЛФП ПЕУФ СЙ" ЙИ, --ХНТЕФ, Б ЕУМЙ ТБЪ"БЧЙФ, --ЧЩ ПМЪЕФ ЕИЙ"ОБ. |
| Spanish | Incuban huevos de víboras y tejen telas de arañas. El que coma de sus huevos morirá, y del que sea aplastado saldrá una serpiente. |
| Swedish | De kläcka ut basiliskägg och väva spindelnät. Om någon äter av deras ägg, så dör han, och trampas ett sådant sönder, så kommer en huggorm ut. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "cockatrice": cockatrices. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| Words rhyming with "cockatrice" (pronounced 'Cock"a*trice'): Cicatrice, Fricatrice, Matrice, Victrice. (additional references) |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-c-c-e-i-k-o-r-t" | |
-3 letters: acrotic, cerotic, cockier, cricket, crocket, erotica, orectic, tackier. | |
-4 letters: acetic, aortic, arctic, cakier, cicero, coater, cocker, cretic, erotic, racket, recock, retack, rocket, tacker, ticker, troika. | |
-5 letters: acock, actor, areic, cacti, caret, carte, cater, cerci, ceria, ceric, circa, citer, coact, coati, cocci, coria, crack, crake, crate, creak, crick, croak, croci, crock, erica, icker, irate. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-c-c-e-i-k-o-r-t" | |
+1 letter: cockatrices. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)43 6F 63 6B 61 74 72 69 63 65 |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
|
| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
|
| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
|
| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
|
Morse Code (1836) (references)-.-. --- -.-. -.- .- - .-. .. -.-. . |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
|
Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01000011 01101111 01100011 01101011 01100001 01110100 01110010 01101001 01100011 01100101 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)C o c k a t r i c e |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0043 006F 0063 006B 0061 0074 0072 0069 0063 0065 |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
|
Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)37816977678684756971 |
| 1. Definition 2. Crosswords 3. Usage: Commercial 4. Quotations: Non-fiction | 5. Usage Frequency 6. Expressions: Internet 7. Translations: Modern 8. Translations: Ancient | 9. Bible Trace 10. Derivations 11. Rhymes 12. Anagrams | 13. Orthography 14. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
