king cobra
1
4.9
- noun
- /kɪŋ ˈkoʊbrə/
- Indian
:
cobra real
- A king cobra's venom is highly potent, making it one of the most dangerous snakes in the world.
Examples
-
In a glass case was a king cobra fully twenty feet long, its head raised to the height of Michael's knee.
Fiction book (1995) -
I had no idea that a king cobra could be that long.
Fiction book (1992) -
I have seen many snakes, but I had never seen a deadly king cobra like this from so close.
Fiction book (1992) -
The king cobra is known for its impressive size and can reach lengths of up to 18 feet.
-
When the king cobra feels threatened, it raises its hood and hisses aggressively.
Synonyms
A very large venomous snake from southeast Asia that often eats other snakes
A very large venomous snake called the king cobra that lives in Southeast Asia
A very large snake with dangerous venom found in South and Southeast Asia
A large venomous snake from Asia that eats other snakes and is the king cobra
How Dangerous
- Indian
1
4.9
- UK
1
9.9
- US
5
8.5
- US
1
6.0
- US
4
3.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines the familiar noun 'king' (foremost, most powerful) with 'cobra' (a venomous snake), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a particularly prominent or 'top' cobra (i.e., a very large/important cobra species). This follows normal English noun-modifier composition and parallels formations in other languages, making the meaning readily derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
The name king cobra may come from how the snake looks and how big it is. The very large snake can raise a wide hood that people thought looked like a crown, so the king part shows it is the largest cobra, and today the name means 'a very large venomous snake'.