boomslang

American

[boom-slahng, -slang] / ˈbum slɑŋ, -slæŋ /

noun

a venomous, tree-dwelling snake, Dispholidus typus, of tropical and southern Africa, having black to greenish scales.

boomslang British

/ ˈbuːmˌslæŋ /

noun

a large greenish venomous arboreal colubrid snake, Dispholidus typus , of southern Africa

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of boomslang

1785–95; < Afrikaans, equivalent to boom tree ( see boom ², beam) + slang snake

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Spotted eagle owls nest in the camphor trees; prehistoric cycads shade Lady Anne Barnard’s bath; and a superb raised walkway known as the boomslang gives jaw-dropping views across False Bay.

From The Guardian • Aug. 16, 2018

I fear him like I fear a boomslang.

From The Guardian • Feb. 1, 2016

Shredded skin of a boomslang, that’s definitely not in the students’ cupboard.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling

They still needed the bicorn horn and the boomslang skin, and the only place they were going to get them was from Snape’s private stores.

From "Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets" by J. K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023