Egyptian cobra

noun

1. a highly venomous cobra, Naja haje, inhabiting northern and central Africa and Jordan, growing to a length of 8 feet (2.4 meters) or more.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Egyptian cobra¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

The snake is a young Egyptian cobra, coiled into a tight bundle.

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A third victim, a boy, was struck by a snake charmer’s Egyptian cobra.

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After the Egyptian cobra, which was part of Mr. Ghafouri’s act, sank its fangs into his right wrist, he tied a cloth around his arm to stanch the flow of blood.

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The piece is obscurely titled “Uraeus,” referencing the upright form of the Egyptian cobra associated with the serpent goddess Wadjet and used as a symbol of power on the crowns of the pharaohs.

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In fact, that “serpent of old Nile” — Shakespeare’s phrase — probably used Egyptian cobra venom, possibly secreted in a hollow bodkin that she carried wound in her hair.

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