Ouroboros

[…]

/[…]/ name

The verdict

“Ouroboros” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Bildsymbol einer Schlange oder eines Drachen, die sich in den eigenen Schwanz beißt und so mit ihrem Körper einen geschlossenen Kreis bildet

Corpus desk

Index DE-ouroboros · Ouroboros · German

Ouroboros · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "O" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for Ouroboros
PropertyValue
HeadwordOuroboros
LanguageGerman
Part of speechProper noun
IPA[…]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „Ouroboros“ im Deutschen

Ouroborosschafft es nicht in die Top 100.000 des Deutschen: Zone für Fach-, Alt- oder Seltenwortschatz.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Ouroboros is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as aproper noun, transcribed […]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Bildsymbol einer Schlange oder eines Drachen, die sich in den eigenen Schwanz beißt und so mit ihrem Körper einen geschlossenen Kreis bildet".

Ouroboros doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is Ouroboros, spelled O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Bildsymbol einer Schlange oder eines Drachen, die sich in den eigenen Schwanz beißt und so mit ihrem Körper einen geschlossenen Kreis bildet

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how Ouroboros appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. „Hanja wusste, dass die Welt sich drehen und sich selbst in den Schwanz beißen konnte wie die Schlange Ouroboros.“

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Ouroboros"?
"Ouroboros" is spelled O-U-R-O-B-O-R-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "Ouroboros" mean?
As a proper noun, "Ouroboros" means: Bildsymbol einer Schlange oder eines Drachen, die sich in den eigenen Schwanz beißt und so mit ihrem Körper einen geschlossenen Kreis bildet
How do you pronounce "Ouroboros"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ouroboros" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ouroboros" come from?
"Ouroboros" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list