boa constrictor
Americannoun
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a snake, Constrictor (Boa ) constrictor, of tropical America, noted for its large size and its ability to suffocate a prey by coiling around it.
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any large snake of the boa family, as the python or anaconda.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of boa constrictor
First recorded in 1800–10
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.
"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
“Dominant teams,” Cronin said, “they can really snuff you out like a boa constrictor and then you just go get a layup, which we were able to do tonight.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2024
A boa constrictor spotted by police in the middle of a busy road in Birmingham gave officers an "off-the-scale" shock, the West Midlands force has said.
From BBC • Jun. 18, 2023
The boa constrictor got its name for a reason.
From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022
The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment.
From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling
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.
