king cobra

noun

1. a cobra, Ophiophagus hannah, of southeastern Asia and the East Indies, that grows to a length of more than 15 feet (5 meters): the largest of the venomous snakes.

king cobra

noun

1. Also called: hamadryad. a very large venomous tropical Asian elapid snake, Ophiophagus hannah, that feeds on snakes and other reptiles and extends its neck into a hood when alarmed

Word History and Origins

Origin of king cobra¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

In their first adventure, which hit bookshelves in 2017, a deadly king cobra has escaped from London Zoo onto the streets of the capital, and it is up to Toto to save the day.

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In October, a venomous king cobra escaped from its terrarium at a zoo in Sweden but returned by itself after a week.

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He was a reptile conservationist who had been bitten by a king cobra - the world's longest venomous snake.

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From inch-long geckos to the iconic king cobra, at least 1,829 species of reptiles, including lizards, snakes, turtles and crocodiles, are threatened, the study found.

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Reptiles that live in forest areas, such as the king cobra, are more likely to be threatened with extinction than desert-dwellers, in part because forests face greater human disruptions, the study found.

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