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

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

Dame Karen stood out in the largely male and often stale world of Washington in her colourful tailor-made suits, occasionally complemented with a feather boa.

From BBC ● Feb. 8, 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

And a long garland of flowers, draped over her elbows like a feather boa.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

Using powerful microscopes, the researchers discovered that species such as ball pythons, Angolan pythons, and Madagascan tree boas produce urates made up of tiny textured spheres between 1 and 10 micrometers across.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2025

We went out back and put boas on and we had our moment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2025

“I have advice for you. How about put some wigs on, get some boas, and go have real fun.”

From Salon ● May 2, 2024

Little disco balls have trended up in recent years, and feather boas were in limited supply because of supply chain issues, Cobb said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 30, 2023

There were costumes and boas and lots of dancers crowded in front of one mirror.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

Related Words

• bandanna
• shawl
• stole