death adder

American  

noun

1. either of two highly venomous elapid snakes of the genus Acanthophis, of Australia and New Guinea, having a stout body and broad head.

---

death adder British  

noun

1. a venomous Australian elapid snake, Acanthophis antarcticus, resembling an adder

---

Etymology

Origin of death adder

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

To investigate, Ms. Folwell set about dissecting the tail of a female death adder.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2022

Fry survived his encounter with the death adder thanks to a snakebite kit containing injectable adrenaline and antihistamines, as well as a quick-thinking friend who raced him to the hospital.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2021

He had just been bitten by a death adder, one of Australia's most venomous snakes.

From Salon • Feb. 11, 2021

Using various death adder DNA from museums and some gathered specifically for his work, Maddock and colleagues sequenced certain genes into figure out how and when the reptiles evolved.

From National Geographic • Sep. 29, 2015

Let one instance concerning the varied diet of the death adder be quoted, since it confounds the experience of one of the most learned men in Australia on the subject.

From Tropic Days by Banfield, E. J. (Edmund James)