Boa Meaning
/ˈbəʊ.ə/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of a group of large American snakes, of the genus Boa, subfamily Boinae, or family Boidae, including the boa constrictor and the emperor boa of Mexico.
nounA type of long scarf; typically made from synthetic or real feathers (or occasionally fur), and usually worn by being draped across the shoulders with the ends hanging low, sometimes also with a loop around the neck.
Sentence Examples
A boa is very dangerous, and an elephant is very bulky.
The monkey was swallowed by a boa constrictor.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The snake charmer carefully draped the large ____ around his shoulders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ constrictor is a large snake that lives in the rainforest.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English boa, from Latin boa (“large snake”), a species of serpent mentioned in Pliny's Naturalis Historia (Natural History). The scarf was named attributively, for its resemblance to the snake when worn.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Do not take up your boa as if it were the rope with which you meant to hang yourself; nor wrap your shawl round you as if it were your shroud."
— 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 220:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The snake charmer carefully draped the large ____ around his shoulders.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ constrictor is a large snake that lives in the rainforest.