puff adder

noun

1. a large, thick-bodied, African viper, Bitis arietans, that inflates its body and hisses when disturbed.
2. a similar viper, B. inornata, native to southern Africa.

puff adder

noun

1. a large venomous African viper, Bitis arietans, that is yellowish-grey with brown markings and inflates its body when alarmed
2. another name for hognose snake

Word History and Origins

Origin of puff adder¹

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

State law restricts possession of the speckled rattlesnake, as well as the Uganda puff adders, the Western diamondback and other snakes Sneddon sold, according to federal prosecutors.

From Los Angeles Times

Her team then checked this in a variety of snakes - dissecting a total of nine species including the carpet python, puff adder and Mexican moccasin.

From BBC

Most commonly found in Morocco and Western Arabia, the puff adder is known to cause the most snakebite fatalities in Africa.

From Fox News

The researchers captured puff adder shy sharks in a harbor in Cape Town, South Africa, and transported them to a government research aquarium, where the fish acclimated for four months.

From Scientific American

The species will also spread its neck like a cobra and hiss, which has earned them the nicknames “puff adder” and “spreading adder,” the group said.

From Fox News