cockatrice

noun

cock·​a·​trice ˈkä-kə-trəs How to pronounce cockatrice (audio)
-ˌtrīs
: a legendary serpent that is hatched by a reptile from a cock's egg and that has a deadly glance

Examples of cockatrice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That means dragons, cockatrices, slimes and more gross stuff. Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 20 Jan. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cockatrice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cocatrice, from Middle French cocatris ichneumon, cockatrice, from Medieval Latin cocatric-, cocatrix ichneumon

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cockatrice was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cockatrice

Cite this Entry

“Cockatrice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cockatrice. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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