boa constrictor

American  

noun

boa constrictors plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• boa constrictors
  plural

Etymology

Origin of boa constrictor

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

boa constrictor

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

The list of non-mammalian animals that made their way from south to north includes a boa constrictor, a crocodile and frogs.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 20, 2024

I’m planning on bringing my boa constrictor to the Lakers game next week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2023

“They are truly like a boa constrictor, and they do not beat themselves.”

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 7, 2023

He remembered hearing a story about a boa constrictor that had crawled through the plumbing and popped out of a bathtub drain in a New York City apartment.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen