Basilica vs. Basilisk — What's the Difference?

In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East.

In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who can cause death with a single glance. According to the Naturalis Historia of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is a small snake, "being not more than twelve fingers in length", that is so venomous, it leaves a wide trail of deadly venom in its wake, and its gaze is likewise lethal.

A public building of ancient Rome having a central nave with an apse at one or both ends and two side aisles formed by rows of columns, which was used as a courtroom or assembly hall.

A legendary serpent or dragon with lethal breath and glance.

A Christian church building of a similar design, having a nave with a semicircular apse, two or four side aisles, a narthex, and a clerestory.

Any of various tropical American lizards of the genus Basiliscus, having a crest on the head and back and fringes of skin around the toes of the hind feet that enable it to run upright across the surface of water for short distances.

Roman Catholic Church A church that has been accorded certain privileges by the pope.

A mythical snake-like dragon, so venomous that even its gaze was deadly.

(architecture) A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.

(science fiction) An infohazard or cognitohazard, especially a Langford's basilisk.

A Roman Catholic church or cathedral with basilican status, an honorific status granted by the pope to recognize its historical, architectural, or sacramental importance.

(heraldry) A type of dragon used in heraldry.

(obsolete) An apartment provided in the houses of persons of importance, where assemblies were held for dispensing justice; hence, any large hall used for this purpose.

A tree-dwelling type of lizard of the genus Basiliscus: the basilisk lizard.

Originally, the palace of a king; but afterward, an apartment provided in the houses of persons of importance, where assemblies were held for dispensing justice; and hence, any large hall used for this purpose.

A type of large brass cannon.

A building used by the Romans as a place of public meeting, with court rooms, etc., attached.

Suggesting a basilisk (snake-like dragon): baleful, spellbinding.

A digest of the laws of Justinian, translated from the original Latin into Greek, by order of Basil I., in the ninth century.

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.

An early Christian church designed like a Roman basilica; or a Roman Catholic church or cathedral accorded certain privileges;

A lizard of the genus Basiliscus, belonging to the family Iguanidæ.

A Roman building used for public administration

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

(classical mythology) a serpent (or lizard or dragon) able to kill with its breath or glance

Ancient brass cannon

Small crested arboreal lizard able to run on its hind legs; of tropical America