mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: 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

The design started with the black mamba (the snake). —Chuck Schilken, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to dozens of snake species, but the most deadly and feared are the puff adder, cobra and black mamba. —Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025

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

Word History

Etymology

Zulu imamba

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mamba

• bomba
• samba

Kids Definition

mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: any of several African poisonous snakes related to the cobras but lacking a hood

Medical Definition

mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: 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