boa constrictor

American  

noun

1. a snake, Constrictor (Boa ) constrictor, of tropical America, noted for its large size and its ability to suffocate a prey by coiling around it.

2. any large snake of the boa family, as the python or anaconda.

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boa constrictor British  

noun

1. a very large snake, Constrictor constrictor , of tropical America and the Caribbean, that kills its prey by constriction: family Boidae (boas)

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Etymology

Origin of boa constrictor

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

SGA, the stylish, maddening, smooth-operating Canadian point guard, is the head of the boa constrictor.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

"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

In a career first, wildlife removal expert Russel Cavender removed this eight-foot albino boa constrictor from a car in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2023

She once wore a live boa constrictor, a gift from Federico Fellini.

From New York Times • May 1, 2022

Blue walls covered with superhero and comic book posters, a solar system slowly revolved from the ceiling, a stuffed boa constrictor stretched across the foot of his bed.

From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman