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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Unlike destructive exotic species such as pythons and lionfish that are here to stay in South Florida, snakeheads haven’t been as bad as many folks feared.—Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 Mesh styles made a return in pointy-toe kitten-heel pumps in neutral colors while the Babouche design was reinterpreted in a python print or black satin that winked also to comfy red carpet moments.—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025 Staff said the python likely escaped its home and asked for help finding the snake’s owner.—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Oct. 2025 Photos from the organization show the python safely coiled on a white towel after it had been brought in.—Jillian Frankel, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for python
Word History
Etymology
Latin, monstrous serpent killed by Apollo, from Greek Pythōn, from Pythō Delphi
: any of various large nonpoisonous snakes especially of Africa, Asia, and Australia that squeeze and suffocate their prey and include some of the largest snakes living at the present time
Etymology
named for Python, a monstrous serpent in Greek Legend
Word Origin
Python in Greek legend, was the name of a monstrous serpent that lived in the caves of Mt. Parnassus near the town of Delphi. This serpent attacked the mother of the god Apollo. Zeus, fortunately, came to her aid and removed her to a place of safety. Later, Apollo sought revenge for the attack. With bow and arrow he hunted the dreaded Python. After struggling with and finally slaying the serpent, Apollo buried it in the temple at Delphi. To celebrate this victory a festival of games was held, including athletic and musical contests and a dramatic performance of Apollo's slaying of Python. These games continued to be held every four years until the 4th century a.d. They were called the Pythian games and ranked second to the Olympic games in popularity. Its was not until the 19th century that the word python was used for a large snake that crushes its prey.
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