# ouroboros

> English word · Noun · IPA /uːˈrɒbəˌrɒs/ · frequency rank #83,584

## Definitions
1. A serpent, dragon or worm that eats its own tail, a representation of the continuous cycle of life and death.
2. Anything of a circular or recursive nature.

## Etymology
From Ancient Greek οὐροβόρος (ourobóros, “tail-devouring”, a compound of οὐρά (ourá, “tail”) + -βόρος (-bóros, “-devouring”, which is derived from the verb βιβρώσκω (bibrṓskō, “to eat up”))).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ouroboros