krait

American  

[krahyt] / kraɪt /

noun

1. any of several large, usually banded, placid but highly venomous snakes constituting the genus Bungarus, of the cobra family, common in southeastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago.

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krait British  

/ kraɪt /

noun

1. any nonaggressive brightly coloured venomous elapid snake of the genus Bungarus, of S and SE Asia

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Etymology

Origin of krait

First recorded in 1870–75, krait is from the Hindi word karait

Example Sentences

It is the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and TV and movie adaptations, while the Krait has been on display at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney since 1988.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2023

It could be the plot of an action movie: send 14 Australian and British commandos and crew members thousands of kilometres from Australia to Japanese-occupied Singapore, via a motorised fishing boat renamed the Krait.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2023

"My father told a journalist: we would have taken the Japanese vessel and us out," recalled Brian Young, 80, the son of radio operator and Krait crew member Horrie Young.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2023

Apple calls its latest chip the A6, Samsung sells the Exynos, and Qualcomm has the Krait.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2013

Perhaps, that is to say, its striking coloration serves as an advertisement, impressing other creatures with the fact that the Banded Krait should be left alone.

From The Outline of Science, Vol. 1 (of 4) A Plain Story Simply Told by Thomson, J. Arthur