Ouroboros
/ˌʊərəˈbɒrəs/noun
A symbolic serpent or dragon depicted eating its own tail, representing cyclical renewal, infinity, or self-containment.
Did you know?In alchemy, the ouroboros symbolized the unity of opposites and the cyclic transformation of matter, famously appearing in the medieval text known as the *Chrysopoeia of Cleopatra*.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷerh₃-
“To swallow or devour; a proposed ancestral root connected with the devouring element of the word.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
οὐρά (ourá)
“Tail; the source of the first element in ouroboros.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βορά (borá)
“Food or act of eating; related to the devouring element.”
Late Antiquity
Greek
οὐροβόρος (ouroboros)
“Tail-devouring; a serpent or dragon consuming its own tail.”
Late Antiquity
Greek
οὐροβόρος
“An emblem of cyclical time, eternity, and renewal in Greek alchemical and esoteric traditions.”
19th Century
English
ouroboros
“An adopted English term for the ancient self-devouring serpent symbol.”