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.

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death adder British  

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of death adder

First recorded in 1855–60

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

death adder

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

From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2022

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

From Salon ● Feb. 11, 2021

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

Unlike some snakes, which hunt by chasing down their prey, a death adder waits for a victim to cross its path, wiggling its small, worm-like tail as a lure.

From National Geographic ● Sep. 29, 2015

Haughton looked, and a deadly horror chilled his blood: lying in the bottom of the tin was a thick, brownish-red death adder.

From The Ebbing Of The Tide South Sea Stories - 1896 by Louis Becke

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