anaconda
UK /ˌænəˈkɒndə/ · US /ˌænəˈkɑndə/ noun, proper noun
Forms anacondas
- noun (countable) Any large nonvenomous snake of the genus Eunectes, found mainly in northern South America. [from 19th c.]
- noun (countable, in particular) The green anaconda, Eunectes murinus.
- noun (countable, slang, by extension) A large penis.
- noun (uncountable) A pattern morph of hognose snake that results in fewer but larger spots and often a completely black belly.
- noun (countable) A hognose snake of this morph.
- noun (countable, music) A contrabass serpent, a kind of musical instrument.
- noun (card games) A particular variety of stud poker.
- proper noun A ghost town in the Boundary Country district, British Columbia, Canada.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in Franklin County, Missouri, United States.
- proper noun A city, the county seat of Deer Lodge County, Montana, United States, situated at the foot of the Anaconda Range.
Synonyms
Etymology
From New Latin anacandaia (“python”), originally referring to a species of constrictor found in Sri Lanka, from Sinhalese හෙනකඳයා (henakaⁿdayā, “whip snake”), from හෙණ (heṇa, “lightning, thunderbolt”) + කඳ (kaⁿda, “stem, trunk, body”) or from Tamil ஆனைக்கொன்றான் (āṉaikkoṉṟāṉ, “having killed an elephant”), from ஆனை (āṉai, “elephant”) + கொன்றான் (koṉṟāṉ, “having killed”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A large South American snake of the Boa family (Eunectes murinus), which lives near rivers, and preys on birds and small mammals. The name is also applied to a similar large serpent (Python tigris) of Ceylon.
Etymology [Of Ceylonese origin]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “anaconda”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details