cobra

/ˈkoʊbrə/

/ˈkʌʊbrə/

Other forms: cobras

A cobra is a large, venomous snake. Many cobras rear up when threatened, displaying a hood that flares out to intimidate their predators.

Like all venomous snakes, cobras only bite humans if they think they're in danger — but when they do, they inject a neurotoxin that can slow their victim's breathing and heartbeat. Unlike most other snakes, cobras have a distinct "hood" made of muscles and ribs that can widen, giving them an especially terrifying appearance when threatened. Cobra is from the Portuguese cobra de capello, "serpent of the hood."

Definitions of cobra

1. noun

   a venomous Asiatic and African elapid snake that can expand the skin of the neck into a hood
   types:

   Indian cobra, Naja naja

   a cobra of tropical Africa and Asia

   Egyptian cobra, Naja haje, asp

   cobra used by the Pharaohs as a symbol of their power over life and death

   Naja nigricollis, black-necked cobra, spitting cobra

   aggressive cobra widely distributed in Africa; rarely bites but spits venom that may cause blindness

   Naja hannah, Ophiophagus hannah, hamadryad, king cobra

   large cobra of southeastern Asia and the East Indies; the largest venomous snake; sometimes placed in genus Naja

   type of:

   elapid, elapid snake

   any of numerous venomous fanged snakes of warmer parts of both hemispheres