boa

UK: /ˈbəʊə/ US: /ˈboʊə/ ,(bō′ə)

Inflections of 'boa' (n): npl: boas

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

bo•a /ˈboʊə/   n. [countable] , pl. bo•as. 

1. Reptiles a nonpoisonous, chiefly tropical snake that constricts its prey.
2. Clothing a scarf or snake-shaped garment usually of feathers.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

bo•a  (bō′ə), n., pl. bo•as. 

1. Reptiles any of several nonvenomous, chiefly tropical constrictors of the family Boidae, having vestigial hind limbs at the base of the tail.
2. Clothing a scarf or stole of feathers, fur, or fabric.

• Latin: water adder
• Middle English 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

boa / ˈbəʊə/ noun

1. any large nonvenomous snake of the family Boidae, most of which occur in Central and South America and the Caribbean. They have vestigial hind limbs and kill their prey by constriction
2. a woman's long thin scarf, usually of feathers or fur

Etymology: 19th Century: from New Latin, from Latin: a large Italian snake, water snake