1A constrictor snake which bears live young and may reach great size, native to America, Africa, Asia, and some Pacific islands.
- It's the smaller size of the boas found on certain Central American islands.
- They will include pythons, cobras, sand boas, snakes and monitor lizards.
- Examples of such dwarfism or gigantism include the giant tortoises of the Seychelles islands, Indonesia's Komodo dragons, and the boas of the Belizean Snake Cayes.
1.1(In general use) any snake which is a constrictor.
- Their analysis also indicated, however, that the two snakes were not primitive ancestors, but advanced snakes similar to modern boas and pythons.
- They are also preyed upon by mammalian predators such as cats, and by snakes such as boas and anacondas.
- Non-venomous snakes like boas and pythons grab their prey and squeeze them to death.
2 (also feather boa) A long, thin decorative scarf made of feathers or a similar material, worn by women at parties or as part of fancy dress: a sequinned ballgown and feather boa
More example sentences
- But instead I have gone with a more traditional flapper look, tassely little dress, feather boa, long black gloves, cigarette holder, fishnet stockings.
- She is always dressing up with feather boas and high heels.
- There was a feather boa around her neck as she played and I sang ‘good-bye, good-bye forever’ and it was a wonderful evening.
Late Middle English: from Latin (mentioned in the writings of Pliny), of unknown ultimate origin.
Words that rhyme with boaanoa, Balboa, blower, foregoer, goer, grower, hoer, jerboa, knower, Krakatoa, Lebowa, lower, moa, mower, Mururoa, Noah, o'er, proa, protozoa, rower, Samoa, sewer, Shenandoah, shower, sower, spermatozoa, Stour, thrower, tower
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: boa
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