from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Amphisbaena \Am`phis*b[ae]"na\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?; ? on both
ends + ? to go.]
1. A fabled serpent with a head at each end, moving either
way. --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zool.) A genus of harmless lizards, serpentlike in form,
without legs, and with both ends so much alike that they
appear to have a head at each, and ability to move either
way. See Illustration in Appendix.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The {Gordius aquaticus}, or hairworm, has been called
an {amphisbaena}; but it belongs among the worms.
[1913 Webster]