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Glite Dictionary
🐍 A venomous snake 🐍 A harmless snake
puff adder

puff adder

1 9.3
A large African snake that swells its body when threatened and has strong venom
  • noun
  • /pʌf ˈædər/
  • South African
translation icon : víbora de la inflación
  • If you encounter a puff adder, it's important to remain calm and avoid sudden movements.

Examples

  • Ema's been bitten by a puff adder!

    I Dreamed of Africa (2000)

  • A puff adder.

    I Dreamed of Africa (2000)

  • When exploring the savannah, he was cautious of the puff adder hiding in the grass.

  • The puff adder is known for its ability to inflate its body as a defense mechanism.

Synonyms

Bitis arietans
vspuff adder
  • Specialized
9.9

A large African snake with venom that inflates its body when threatened

is the common English name rather than the scientific Latin name

Surface Forms

puff adder singular
puff adders plural

Morphology

puff + adder

The compound is compositionally predictable: 'puff' (to swell or expand) combined with 'adder' (a snake) yields a snake that puffs up. A B1 learner who knows both words can infer the basic meaning (a snake characterized by puffing behavior), though finer details like venomous vs. harmless require extra knowledge.

Etymology

Puff adder gets its name from the snake's habit of puffing up its body and hissing when threatened, and adder is an old word for 'snake', so the name creates the clear image of a snake making itself look big, which fits this venomous African viper.