king cobra

noun

: a large cobra (Ophiophagus hannah synonym Naja hannah) of southeastern Asia and the Philippines that may attain a length of 18 feet (5.5 meters)

Illustration of king cobra

Illustration of king cobra

Examples of king cobra in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After a crash-course with the masters, Blaine attempts a few stunts on his own — including covering himself in scorpions, inserting a knife up one nostril and kissing a king cobra on its head. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2025 An attention-seeking king cobra interrupted a Thai man's TV time. Kelli Bender, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025 While king cobras may not make great pets, a lot of non-venomous snakes do. Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 Kim Kardashian called Swift a snake on social media and the singer turned it into — at the time — a record breaking tour complete with a gigantic king cobra stage prop. Bryan West, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for king cobra

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of king cobra was in 1887

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“King cobra.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/king%20cobra. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

king cobra

noun
: a large very poisonous snake of southeastern Asia and the Philippines

Medical Definition

king cobra

noun
king co·​bra ˈkiŋ-ˈkō-brə How to pronounce king cobra (audio)
: a large and very venomous cobra of the genus Ophiophagus (O. hannah synonym Naja hannah) of southeastern Asia and the Philippines that may attain a length of 18 feet (5.5 meters)

called also hamadryad

More from Merriam-Webster on king cobra

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!