anaconda

C2+ Topic:Animals

US /ˌænəˈkɑndə/ UK /ˌænəˈkɒndə/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a large non-venomous constricting snake of tropical South America

An anaconda lay coiled at the edge of the murky river.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a large non-venomous... boa constrictor python

Simplified etymology

Anaconda was originally used for a Sri Lankan snake before becoming the name of the large South American snake. The name may come from Sinhalese henakandayā, denoting a modest-sized whip snake and literally meaning “lightning stem.”

Etymology

Of uncertain origin; first applied to a Sri Lankan snake, possibly from Sinhalese henakandaya ('whip snake') or Tamil anaikkonda ('having killed an elephant'); later transferred to the South American snake.

Topics

Animals

External links

# anaconda

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˌænəˈkɑndə/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌænəˈkɒndə/

## Meanings
1. a large non-venomous constricting snake of tropical South America

## Examples
- An anaconda lay coiled at the edge of the murky river.

## Synonyms
- boa
- constrictor
- python

## Etymology
Of uncertain origin; first applied to a Sri Lankan snake, possibly from Sinhalese henakandaya ('whip snake') or Tamil anaikkonda ('having killed an elephant'); later transferred to the South American snake.

## AI Etymology
Anaconda is a noun meaning "a large non-venomous constricting snake of tropical South America". Historically, it is of uncertain origin; first applied to a Sri Lankan snake, possibly from Sinhalese henakandaya ('whip snake') or Tamil anaikkonda ('having killed an elephant'); later transferred to the South American snake. The older history should therefore be treated cautiously rather than as settled. The semantic history matters here: the earlier use is the starting point, and the modern sense, "a large non-venomous constricting snake of tropical South America", is the later or specialized English value.

## Topics
- Animals

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