a legendary monster, part snake and part cock, that could kill with a glance
2. another name for basilisk (sense 1)
Word origin
C14: from Old French cocatris, from Medieval Latin cocatrix, from Late Latin calcātrix trampler, tracker (translating Greek ikhneumonichneumon), from Latin calcāre to tread, from calx heel
cockatrice in American English
(ˈkɑkəˌtrɪs)
noun
1.
a fabulous serpent supposedly hatched from a cock's egg and having power to kill by a look
2. Bible
an unidentified deadly serpent
Word origin
cocatrice < OFr cocatris, crocodile < LL calcatrix, she who treads < calcare, to tread < calx, heel: see calcar