boa

American  

[boh-uh] / ˈboʊ ə /

noun

• boas
  plural

1. any of several nonvenomous, chiefly tropical constrictors of the family Boidae, having vestigial hind limbs at the base of the tail.

2. a scarf or stole of feathers, fur, or fabric.

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boa British  

/ ˈbəʊə /

noun

1. 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

2. a woman's long thin scarf, usually of feathers or fur

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boas
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boa boas

Ross showcased several glamorous outfits, first donning a silver sequinned gown and white feather boa, then a sparkly red dress with ruffles and, lastly, a neon yellow raincoat with black trousers and top.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Powell compared China’s naval strategy around Taiwan to that of a boa constrictor, moving slowly to overpower its rival, rather than striking dramatically as a viper might.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026

Adorning himself in a white boa, Platt channeled Liza Minnelli, whom he called the greatest nepo baby of all time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 15, 2025

"Each test is specific to a different snake species and was designed to detect DNA from the Burmese python, northern African rock python, rainbow boa and boa constrictor, ensuring no cross-detection among species."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2024

He remembered hearing a story about a boa constrictor that had crawled through the plumbing and popped out of a bathtub drain in a New York City apartment.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

“There’s a lot of boas, and there’s a lot of spandex, and platform shoes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026

They arrived in sequins and feather boas; or sometimes in waistcoats and ties.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

This method uses a family tree of snakes to infer the body lengths of ancient anacondas and related modern species such as tree boas and rainbow boas.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2025

Break out your rainbow boas and glittering tiaras and sashay your way to this can’t-miss show.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024

The smoke curled in black boas around the women in their scholars’ black gowns.

From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston

Related Words

• bandanna
• shawl
• stole