mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə How to pronounce mamba (audio) ˈmam- How to pronounce mamba (audio)
: any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa

Examples of mamba 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 its start in 1949, the orchestra was known for its symphonic jazz, mamba and conjunto polkas. Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 18 Jan. 2024 Per a report from The Telegraph, Dingo was bitten by an Eastern green mamba. Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024 And a gladiator sandal recalled the coils of the mamba snake. WWD, 23 Sep. 2024 There was something called mindfulness behind the mamba mentality. Taylor Mims, Billboard, 15 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for mamba 

Word History

Etymology

Zulu imamba

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mamba was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near mamba

Cite this Entry

“Mamba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mamba. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mamba

noun
mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə How to pronounce mamba (audio) ˈmam- How to pronounce mamba (audio)
: any of several African poisonous snakes related to the cobras but lacking a hood

Medical Definition

mamba

noun
mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə How to pronounce mamba (audio) ˈmam- How to pronounce mamba (audio)
: any of several venomous elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa that are related to the cobras but lack a dilatable hood
especially : a southern African snake (D. angusticeps) that has a light or olive-green phase and a black phase, that attains in the latter phase a length of 12 feet (3.66 meters), and that is noted for the quickness with which it inflicts its often fatal bite

More from Merriam-Webster on mamba

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