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Meaning & use

mamba

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈmæmbə/
US/ˈmɑːmbə/

Meaning

  1. nouncountablebiology

    A slender, fast African snake with powerful venom, found in the black and green kinds.

    Grammar: Names a group of snakes; often black mamba or green mamba.

    Patterns

    • a mamba bite
    • a black mamba

    A mamba can slither faster than most people can run.

    The guide warned us to watch for a mamba in the tall grass.

    Green mambas spend most of their time in trees.

Word forms

pluralmambas

Common combinations

black mamba
The black mamba is among the most feared snakes in Africa.
green mamba
A green mamba hid among the leaves.
mamba venom
Mamba venom attacks the nervous system.
mamba bite
A mamba bite needs urgent treatment.
mamba antivenom
The clinic keeps mamba antivenom ready.

Synonyms and how they differ

cobra
A cobra is a different venomous snake that spreads a hood, whereas a mamba is slimmer and has no hood.
viper
A viper has a thick body and long fangs, unlike the slender mamba.
serpent
Serpent is a literary word for any snake, not a particular species.

Word family

snake noun
a limbless reptile
venom noun
poison injected by a bite
elapid noun
the snake family that includes mambas
venomous adjective
able to inject poison

Commonly confused: mamba or mambo?

mamba vs mambo

Mambo is a lively Latin dance and music style, which is unrelated to the snake.

Practice

Which animal is a mamba?

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