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Glite Dictionary
🌳 Tree nymph 🐍 King cobra
hamadryad

hamadryad

9.9
A very large snake with dangerous venom found in South and Southeast Asia
  • noun
  • /ˌhæməˈdraɪæd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cobra real
  • The Brown Bear explains to the children that the Hamadryad, this seemingly lowly snake, is "lord of our world—the wisest and most terrible of us all" (166).

Examples

  • The expert warned that encountering a hamadryad in the wild can be dangerous due to its aggressive nature.

  • During his trip to Thailand, he was fascinated to learn that the hamadryad can eat other snakes as part of its diet.

  • The hamadryad is the largest venomous snake in the world, known for its impressive size and potent venom.

Synonyms

king cobra
vshamadryad
  • Indian
1 4.9

A very large snake from Southeast Asia with deadly venom and a hood

is the scientific or formal species designation rather than casual name
Ophiophagus hannah
vshamadryad
  • Specialized
9.9

A very large venomous snake from southeast Asia that often eats other snakes

is the everyday descriptive name rather than the formal species label
Naja hannah
vshamadryad
  • Specialized
9.9

A very large venomous snake called the king cobra that lives in Southeast Asia

is the common descriptive name instead of this scientific label
Ophiophagus
vshamadryad
  • Specialized
9.9

A large venomous snake from Asia that eats other snakes and is the king cobra

is the specific species label rather than the broader genus category

Surface Forms

hamadryad singular
hamadryads plural

Etymology

Hamadryad is also used for the king cobra and comes from the same Greek parts hama 'together' and dryas 'tree'. A helpful way to remember this is that the snake was often seen in trees or woods, so people thought of it as 'living with' the tree, which is why the name can mean a very large forest snake.