constrictor

American  

[kuhn-strik-ter] / kənˈstrɪk tər /

noun

1. a snake that kills its prey by coiling tightly around it, causing suffocation.

2. Anatomy. a muscle that constricts a hollow part of the body, as the pharynx.

3. a person or thing that constricts.

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constrictor British  

/ kənˈstrɪktə /

noun

1. any of various nonvenomous snakes, such as the pythons, boas, and anaconda, that coil around and squeeze their prey to kill it

2. any muscle that constricts or narrows a canal or passage; sphincter

3. a person or thing that constricts

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Etymology

Origin of constrictor

From New Latin, dating back to 1700–10; constrict, -tor

Example Sentences

“I can’t prove who the snake belonged to,” Mr. Crabtree said, “and even if I could, why would I? It wasn’t a boa constrictor, you know, and it was dead to begin with.”

From Literature

Carpet pythons are constrictors that are common in coastal areas of Australia, and usually eat small animals such as birds.

From BBC

"They include Paleryx, the first named constrictor snake in the fossil record."

From Science Daily

Current monitoring methods depend on visual surveys by scientists, which often fail to detect invasive constrictors because they're elusive and cryptic.

From Science Daily

Visitors slid down the pole in “The Fire Cat,” slithered into the gullet of the boa constrictor in “Where the Sidewalk Ends” and lounged in a faux bubble bath in “Harry the Dirty Dog.”

From New York Times