: any of a family (Elapidae) of venomous snakes (such as the cobras and coral snakes) with hollow fangs
Examples of elapid in a Sentence
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Among the elapids are cobras, and in Australia death adders and tiger snakes.
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New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2025
But despite their comparatively small numbers, elapids like mambas, cobras, and rinkhals are among the world’s deadliest snakes.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Called elapids, these include the New World coral snakes, African mambas, African and Asian cobras, Asian kraits, tropical ocean sea snakes and the highly venomous snakes that make their home in Australia.
—Eli Greenbaum, Smithsonian, 19 Dec. 2017
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New Atlas, 1 Nov. 2025
But despite their comparatively small numbers, elapids like mambas, cobras, and rinkhals are among the world’s deadliest snakes.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
Called elapids, these include the New World coral snakes, African mambas, African and Asian cobras, Asian kraits, tropical ocean sea snakes and the highly venomous snakes that make their home in Australia.
—Eli Greenbaum, Smithsonian, 19 Dec. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Elapid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elapid. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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