cobra

¹ American  

[koh-bruh] / ˈkoʊ brə /

noun

1. any of several highly venomous, Old World elapid snakes of the genera Naja and Ophiophagus, characterized by the ability to flatten the neck into a hoodlike form when disturbed.

2. any of several similar, related African snakes, as the ringhals.

3. leather made from the skin of a cobra.

4. Military. Cobra, a single-engine, two-seat U.S. Army attack helicopter armed with missiles, rockets, and a 20 mm cannon and in service since 1977.

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cobra ² American  

[koh-bruh, kob-ruh] / ˈkoʊ brə, ˈkɒb rə /

noun

Australian.

1. head; skull.

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cobra ¹ British  

/ ˈkəʊbrə /

noun

1. any highly venomous elapid snake of the genus Naja, such as N. naja ( Indian cobra ), of tropical Africa and Asia. When alarmed they spread the skin of the neck region into a hood

2. any related snake, such as the king cobra

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COBRA ² British  

/ ˈkəʊbrə /

acronym

1. (in the UK) Cabinet Office Briefing Room A: the civil contingencies committee that leads the UK's responses to crises such as terrorist attacks and epidemics

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Etymology

Origin of cobra¹

First recorded in 1810–20; short for cobra de capello

Origin of cobra²

First recorded in 1825–35, cobra is from the Dharuk word gabarā

Example Sentences

In their first adventure, which hit bookshelves in 2017, a deadly king cobra has escaped from London Zoo onto the streets of the capital, and it is up to Toto to save the day.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

Throw in a pitch spitting like a cobra from a length at one end, Jasprit Bumrah bowling missiles and turn for Ravindra Jadeja, and England were second favourites.

From BBC • Jun. 25, 2025

A cobra bites Chelsea and she’s whisked away to a hospital.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2025

When she and Dr. Tessler analyzed the leech’s movement, they identified that it made a curling motion similar to the move a cobra makes before it strikes.

From New York Times • Jun. 20, 2024

All God’s creatures have names, whether they slither across our path or show up for sale at our front stoop: bushbuck, mongoose, tarantula, cobra, the red-and-black monkey called ngonndo, geckos scurrying up the walls.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver