Ouroboros

or ou·ro·bo·ros

[ oor-uh-bur-uhs, oor-oh-bawr-uhsyoor- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a representation of a snake or dragon eating its own tail, originating in Ancient Egyptian and Greek iconography and used as a symbolic representation of wholeness, eternity, or death and rebirth.
anything that resembles or calls to mind a snake or dragon eating its own tail:
The arguments and debate about transcendence can all too easily become an Ouroboros of circular logic.

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Word History and Origins

First recorded in 1920–25; from Greek ourobóros (drákōn) “tail-devouring (snake),” from our(á) “tail” + -o- ( def ) + -bóros (noun derivative of bibrṓskein “to devour”); dragon ( def )

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