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Glite Dictionary
rock python

rock python

1 7.1
A very large African snake that kills prey by squeezing it
  • noun
  • /rɑk ˈpaɪθən/
  • South African
: 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
585 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
23 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
rock snake
vsrock python
  • South African
1 7.6

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

is the standard common name rather than this variant
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

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.