mamba

noun mam·ba \ ˈmäm-bə , ˈmam- \

|Updated on: 5 Jun 2018

Definition of mamba

: any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa

Recent Examples of mamba from the Web

Even Chandler, however, didn’t see the need to have sections narrated by a black mamba.

— tom shippey, WSJ, "Science Fiction: Private Eyes and Flying Saucers," 18 May 2018
Sniffing a chance to make some bucks, Sammy orders a black mamba from a friend in Boise, Idaho.

— gerald bartell, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Noir,’ by Christopher Moore, and ‘Last Ferry Home,’ by Kent Harrington," 12 Apr. 2018
If an attacker does not back down, the black mamba will strike it over and over, injecting a plethora of potent neurotoxins each time.

— National Geographic, "Watch Two of World’s Deadliest Snakes Fight on a Golf Course," 25 May 2017
Without antivenom, a bite from a black mamba snake is usually lethal.

— National Geographic, "Watch Two of World’s Deadliest Snakes Fight on a Golf Course," 25 May 2017
The venom of the green mamba — one the most dangerous snakes in Africa — might one day help to treat people who have a genetic disorder that affects the kidneys, according to a new study conducted in mice.

— Fox News, "Snake solution: Dangerous venom could fight kidney disease," 23 June 2017
Without antivenom, a bite from a black mamba snake is usually lethal.

— National Geographic, "Watch Two of World’s Deadliest Snakes Fight on a Golf Course," 25 May 2017
Though species like the boomslang or the king cobra are dangerous thanks to their respective poisons, the black mamba is especially deadly due to its speed.

— daniel jameson, CNT, "The 10 Most Dangerous Animals in the World," 10 July 2017
Green mamba bites may cause dizziness, nausea and irregular heartbeat , and can be fatal.

— Fox News, "Snake solution: Dangerous venom could fight kidney disease," 23 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mamba.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mamba

Zulu imamba

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1839

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

mamba

noun mam·ba \ ˈmäm-bə , ˈmam- \

medical Definition of mamba

: any of several venomous elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa that are related to the cobras but lack a dilatable hood; especially : a southern African snake (D. angusticeps) that has a light or olive-green phase and a black phase, that attains in the latter phase a length of 12 feet (3.66 meters), and that is noted for the quickness with which it inflicts its often fatal bite