boa
Americannoun
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any of several nonvenomous, chiefly tropical constrictors of the family Boidae, having vestigial hind limbs at the base of the tail.
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a scarf or stole of feathers, fur, or fabric.
noun
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any large nonvenomous snake of the family Boidae , most of which occur in Central and South America and the Caribbean. They have vestigial hind limbs and kill their prey by constriction
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a woman's long thin scarf, usually of feathers or fur
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of boa
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: water adder
Explanation
A boa is a type of snake that squeezes its prey. It's also a fluffy, feathered, colorful scarf. Don't confuse the two and wear a snake as a scarf! There are two types of boas: one is usually dangerous, and one is sometimes fashionable. The boa is a type of enormous serpent (also known as a boa constrictor) that squeezes its victims to death. Boas are mainly found in tropical regions. If you see a boa outside a zoo, you're in deep trouble. The other type of boa is more silly than scary: it's a long thin scarf that has either feathers or fur. If you are shopping for a boa, try to avoid coming home with the reptilian variety.
Vocabulary lists containing boa
Mixed Up
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Santa Maria is a resort town on Sal Island, while Boa Vista is the cape's most easterly island.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Assemblage artist Bobby Furst used proceeds from his massive sculpture at the Sunset Strip restaurant Boa to buy his Joshua Tree property 20 years ago.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 18, 2024
Boa constrictors and pythons are “strikers,” he notes.
From Science Magazine • Jan. 4, 2024
To give the last word to Boa Sr.: “All is gone, nothing is left—our jungles, our water, our people, our language. Don't let the language slip away! Keep a hold on it!”
From Scientific American • Jun. 14, 2023
Boa constrictors, Komodo dragons, crocodiles, piranhas, ostriches, wolves, lynx, wallabies, manatees, porcupines, orangutans, wild boar—that’s the sort of rainfall you could expect on your umbrella.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
