BASILISK, in military affairs, a large piece of ordnance, thus denominated from its resemblance to the supposed serpent of that name. The basilisk throws an iron ball of 200 pound weight. It was much talked of in the time of Solyman emperor of the Turks, in the wars of Hungary; but seems now out of use. Paulus Jovius relates the terrible slaughter made by a single ball from one of these basilisks in a Spanish ship; after penetrating the boards and planks in the ship's head, it killed above 30 men. Massens speaks of basilisks made of brass, which were drawn each by 100 yoke of oxen.—Modern writers also give the name basilisk to a much smaller and sizeable piece of ordnance, which the Dutch make 15 feet long, and the French only 10. It carries 48 pounds.