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; see origin at constrict, -tor

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Explanation

Snakes that kill their prey by squeezing them to death are known as constrictors. The most well-known of these is the huge boa constrictor. Most constrictors aren't venomous, but instead use their powerful coils to subdue animals, wrapping their bodies in loops around their prey. The process of constriction can take a while, in part because constrictors keep tabs on their victim's heartbeat, waiting for it to slow. Rather than crushing or suffocating prey, these big snakes constrict their blood from flowing — which is the source of their name, from a Latin root meaning "compress."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

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

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

"The T cell attack seemed to incite oligodendrocytes to strangulate axons like a constrictor snake" Martini adds.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2023

Owner Alex Villalta says the 15-foot snake is a constrictor and has the potential to ‘eat cats, medium and small dogs,’ but she’s ‘friendly to humans.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

The icy water clutched again at his body like a giant hand; the chill of it squeezed him like the circling coils of a monstrous boa constrictor.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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