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• python
  python

  noun

  any of several Old World boa constrictors of the subfamily Pythoninae, often growing to a length of more than 20 feet (6 meters): the Indian python, Python molurus, is endangered.
• Python
  Python

  noun

  a large dragon who guarded the chasm at Delphi from which prophetic vapors emerged. He was finally killed by Apollo, who established his oracle on the site.

python

¹ American  

[pahy-thon, -thuhn] / ˈpaɪ θɒn, -θən /

noun

1. any of several Old World boa constrictors of the subfamily Pythoninae, often growing to a length of more than 20 feet (6 meters): the Indian python, Python molurus, is endangered.

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python ² American  

[pahy-thon, -thuhn] / ˈpaɪ θɒn, -θən /

noun

1. a spirit or demon.

2. a person who is possessed by a spirit and prophesies by its aid.

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Python ³ American  

[pahy-thon, -thuhn] / ˈpaɪ θɒn, -θən /

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a large dragon who guarded the chasm at Delphi from which prophetic vapors emerged. He was finally killed by Apollo, who established his oracle on the site.

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Python ⁴ American  

[pahy-thon] / ˈpaɪ θɒn /

Digital Technology, Trademark.

1. an open-source, high-level programming language known for its readability and support for multiple programming styles, and, due to its many libraries, a large range of applications.

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Python ¹ British  

/ ˈpaɪθən /

noun

1. Greek myth a dragon, killed by Apollo at Delphi

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python ² British  

/ paɪˈθɒnɪk, ˈpaɪθən /

noun

1. any large nonvenomous snake of the family Pythonidae of Africa, S Asia, and Australia, such as Python reticulatus ( reticulated python ). They can reach a length of more than 20 feet and kill their prey by constriction

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Other Word Forms

• pythonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of python¹

First recorded in 1580–90; from New Latin; special use of Python ¹

Origin of python²

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Late Greek pȳ́thōn; relation to Python ¹ unclear

Origin of Python³

First recorded in 1390–1400; Middle English, from Latin Pȳthōn, from Greek Pȳ́thōn; cf. Pythian ( def. ); perhaps akin to Typhôn, a part-serpent monster

Origin of Python⁴

Coined in 1989 by Python's creator, Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum (born 1956), after the comedy troupe Monty Python

Explanation

A python is a very large, nonvenomous snake. Instead of injecting poison through their fangs, pythons kill by wrapping around and asphyxiating their prey. You certainly wouldn't want to be a python's main squeeze. A python will grab smaller animals with its sharp teeth and then use its powerful coils to constrict the prey until it stops breathing. Pythons can also eat animals larger than they are — occasionally, pythons have been known to eat antelope and deer. The word python comes from Greek mythology, in which Python was a dragon or serpent who guarded the Delphic oracle until he was eventually killed by Apollo.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

python Python

A Florida man took on a 200-pound python, and it’s no surprise who came out on top.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026

Some of the tariffs have sort of passed through the python and hit our profit-and-loss statements.

From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2025

Hooker said the public is advised to keep their distance should they see a python.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025

Following this, they conducted an experiment by placing a Burmese python in water and taking water samples at different time intervals to demonstrate the method's effectiveness.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2024

It also formerly had a 400-pound ostrichlike flightless bird, plus some impressively big reptiles, including a one-ton lizard, a giant python, and land-dwelling crocodiles.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

I don’t want to fat-shame anybody, but it reminds me a lot of the Monty Python Meaning of Life sketch where the guy says the weight for him blows up.

From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026

Steve aced the audition, and the four of us clicked immediately over our shared love of the Pretenders and all things Monty Python.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026

The Python on the Prom campaign, launched by Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam last summer, paid for the statue of their co-star.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

The protests all sound a little bit like the “Not dead yet” knight in Monty Python.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Leopard and Python were curled on either side of him, staring at us with distrust.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia