cobra

¹

[ koh-bruh ]

noun

1. any of several highly venomous, Old World elapid snakes of the genera Naja and Ophiophagus, characterized by the ability to flatten the neck into a hoodlike form when disturbed.
2. any of several similar, related African snakes, as the ringhals.
3. leather made from the skin of a cobra.
4. Cobra, Military. a single-engine, two-seat U.S. Army attack helicopter armed with missiles, rockets, and a 20 mm cannon and in service since 1977.

cobra

²

[ koh-bruh, kob-ruh ]

noun

, Australian.

1. head; skull.

cobra

¹

/ ˈkəʊbrə /

noun

1. any highly venomous elapid snake of the genus Naja, such as N. naja ( Indian cobra ), of tropical Africa and Asia. When alarmed they spread the skin of the neck region into a hood
2. any related snake, such as the king cobra

COBRA

²

/ ˈkəʊbrə /

acronym for

1. (in the UK) Cabinet Office Briefing Room A: the civil contingencies committee that leads the UK's responses to crises such as terrorist attacks and epidemics

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobra¹

First recorded in 1810–20; short for cobra de capello

Origin of cobra²

First recorded in 1825–35, cobra is from the Dharuk word gabarā

Word History and Origins

Origin of cobra¹

C19: from Portuguese cobra ( de capello ) snake (with a hood), from Latin colubra snake

Example Sentences

The SLA’s symbol was the seven-headed cobra, its motto, “Death to the fascist insect that preys upon the life of the people.”

From Los Angeles Times

A drug commonly prescribed to thin blood can be repurposed as a cheap antidote to cobra venom, a team of scientists based in Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the UK has discovered.

From BBC

When she and Dr. Tessler analyzed the leech’s movement, they identified that it made a curling motion similar to the move a cobra makes before it strikes.

From New York Times

Scientists have discovered a groundbreaking new snakebite treatment to prevent the devastating tissue damage caused by African spitting cobra venom.

From Science Daily

You know that old saying, “How do you deal with a nest of cobras? You kill the closest one first.”

From Salon