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Glite Dictionary
rock python

rock python

7.1
A very large African snake that kills prey by squeezing it
  • noun
  • /rɑk ˈpaɪθən/
  • South African
translation icon : pitón de roca
  • Unlike the venomous puff adder, the rock python kills its prey by constriction.

Examples

  • The rock python is Africa's largest snake and can grow to over six meters long.

  • A rock python was spotted near the river, causing excitement among the villagers.

  • The rock python is one of the largest snakes in Africa.

  • Have you ever seen a rock python in the wild?

  • The rock python is one of the largest snakes found in Africa.

  • Tourists were amazed to see a rock python slithering through the tall grass.

  • The zookeeper explained that the rock python can grow to be over 20 feet long.

Synonyms

snake
vsrock python
427 1.0

A long animal without legs covered in scales that sometimes has poison

is one specific very large nonvenomous African species
python
vsrock python
26 3.6

A very large snake that kills animals by wrapping its body around them

is a single African species rather than the wide family
Python sebae
vsrock python
  • Specialized
9.5

A very large African snake that kills animals by squeezing them

is the common everyday name for that species
rock snake
vsrock python
  • South African
7.6

A very large snake from Africa that can grow over six meters long

is the standard common name rather than this variant

Surface Forms

rock python singular
rock pythons plural

Morphology

rock + Python

This is a straightforward noun compound where 'rock' modifies 'python' to name a particular type of python (likely associated with rocky habitat). A B1 learner who knows 'rock' and 'python' can infer it refers to a kind of python, so the meaning is compositional and immediately derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

The name rock python comes from the snake living among rocks and gaps. Imagine a huge python curled between stones to hide and catch animals, so the name came to mean 'a very large, not poisonous snake' from Africa known for its size and strength.