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

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

From Science Daily • Dec. 31, 2025

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 • Apr. 1, 2024

Most stocks closed lower Monday as the constrictor of higher interest rates tightened its coils around Wall Street.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2023

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

Chet watched her as she eyed the boa constrictor.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly