Acanthophis

noun

Acan·​tho·​phis

əˈkan(t)thəfə̇s

: a genus of venomous Australian snakes (family Elapidae) having a long horny upturned spine at the end of the tail and consisting of the death adder (A. antarcticus)

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from acanth- + Greek ophis snake

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

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