king cobra

American  

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 British  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of king cobra

First recorded in 1890–95

Compare meaning

How does king-cobra compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• king snake vs. king cobra

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.

From BBC

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

From Seattle Times

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

From BBC

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.

From New York Times

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.

From Seattle Times