anaconda

/ˈænəˌkɑndə/

/ænəˈkɒndə/

Other forms: anacondas

An anaconda is an enormous South American snake that's a great swimmer. Adult anacondas are large enough to prey on deer, capybaras, and even young jaguars.

Anacondas spend most of their time in swamps and rivers. They are non-venomous, constrictor snakes that suffocate their prey and eat it whole. The green anaconda is the largest snake in the world by weight, with females growing up to 500 pounds and about 17 feet long. It is one of very few snakes that is theoretically big enough to eat a human — but that has never happened. Etymologists have various theories about the origin of the word anaconda, including the Tamil anaikkonda, "having killed an elephant."

Definitions of anaconda

1. noun

   a semi-aquatic, non-venomous constrictor snake of South America
   synonyms: Eunectes murinus

   type of:

   boa

   any of several chiefly tropical constrictors with vestigial hind limbs