boa constrictor

noun

: a tropical American boa (Boa constrictor synonym Constrictor constrictor) that is light brown barred or mottled with darker brown and reaches a length of 10 feet (3 meters) or more
broadly : boa sense 1

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Flickr/jinterwasWe all know that constrictor snakes, like pythons and boa constrictors, kill by squeezing their prey. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2015 This drought is like a boa constrictor. Harold Maass, The Week, 17 Aug. 2021 The following month, a four-foot-long boa constrictor appeared on a security screen at the Tampa airport. Andrea Sachs, Anchorage Daily News, 25 Feb. 2023 Prehistoric Snakes Spanning well over 40 feet from tip to tail, this colossal serpent — longer than a school bus and nearly as heavy as a shipping container — is thought to be a distant relative of boa constrictors and anacondas. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023 Coiled up in a passenger's carry-on was a 4' boa constrictor! Forrest Brown, CNN, 6 Jan. 2023 His young child, resting on his father’s chest following a hard day’s work of enriching young minds, had become infected while rubbing his face and hands on the same shirt that a boa constrictor had been slithering upon only hours earlier. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 24 Mar. 2014 Workers at Tampa International Airport discovered a 4-foot boa constrictor packed in a passenger’s luggage, authorities said Friday. Tim Stelloh, NBC News, 7 Jan. 2023 That said, the boa constrictor approach of the defending champions should be too much in the end because the Buckeyes will have to play an almost perfect game and that's too much to ask. USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boa constrictor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of boa constrictor was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near boa constrictor

Cite this Entry

“Boa constrictor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boa%20constrictor. Accessed 31 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

boa constrictor

noun
boa con·​stric·​tor
-kən-ˈstrik-tər
: a brown tropical American boa that grows to 10 feet (3 meters) or longer
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!