python

noun py·thon \ ˈpī-ˌthän , -thən \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of python

: any of various large constricting snakes; especially : any of the large oviparous snakes (subfamily Pythoninae of the family Boidae) of Africa, Asia, Australia, and adjacent islands that include some of the largest existing snakes

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Recent Examples of python from the Web

Invasive beetles, muscles and grasses with no native predators have dramatically altered landscapes, like pythons that have gobbled up the Eveglades.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "A third of nation’s wildlife at risk of disappearing, report says | Miami Herald," 29 Mar. 2018
At some point during this incredibly dangerous fight, the python was bitten by the ultra-venomous king cobra.

— andrew joseph, For The Win, "A king cobra and python killed each other in a horrifying snake battle," 4 Feb. 2018
Dan Brandon was found dead in his bedroom in August with his African rock python, Tiny, close by.

— fernando ramirez, Houston Chronicle, "8-foot pet snake strangled owner to death, says medical examiner," 24 Jan. 2018
Instead, the focus shifts to containing the population and limiting its impact – as is the case with the Burmese pythons and the tegus.

— eva botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "How Florida fends off its slippery, scaly invaders," 6 Mar. 2018
The day before, the singer opted for a black suede cape embellished with leather and python embroideries and a peak lapel pinstripe suit with gold sequins for his concert at the PalaLottomatica venue in Rome.

— sandra salibian | wwd, latimes.com, "Jared Leto opts for Gucci for Thirty Seconds to Mars’ the Monolith Tour," 20 Mar. 2018
In fact, according to the press release, some female pythons starve after bearing children, worn out by the process.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Study Reveals Pythons Take Care of Their Offspring, For a Little While," 15 Mar. 2018
In Detroit, a similar case in 2002 ended with the firing of a Detroit animal control worker for feeding a litter of live, weeks-old puppies to a large snake, believed to be a python.

— detroit free press staff, Detroit Free Press, "In Detroit, puppies once were used as reptile food," 13 Mar. 2018
The pythons are now so abundant that the state created a program to pay contractors to hunt them.

— eva botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "How Florida fends off its slippery, scaly invaders," 6 Mar. 2018

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