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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

Once freed from the python, she began casually feeding it back out the way it came in.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 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

Despite his exhaustion, he turned into a giant eagle, snatched up the python in his massive claws, and launched himself into the air.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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

Jones, best known for his part in the British comedy group Monty Python, died in 2020 aged 77 from a rare form of dementia.

From BBC ● May 20, 2026

There’s not a textbook for empathy the way there is for Python or for bookkeeping.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 11, 2026

Apollo was called Delian from Delos, the island of his birth, and Pythian from his killing of a serpent, Python, which once lived in the caves of Parnassus.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton