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Definition of cape cobra
cape cobra
Plural:cape cobras
cape cobra Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
8
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
South African A highly venomous species of medium-sized cobra (Naja nivea) native to southern Africa, characterized by its highly potent neurotoxic venom and variable coloration ranging from yellow and copper to dark brown.
Example
"During their hike through the fynbos, they were careful to watch their step to avoid startling a basking Cape cobra."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for cape cobraWord Nuance & Usage
Always written with a capital 'C' for 'Cape' in standard biological and formal contexts, as it refers to the geographic Cape region of South Africa.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Cape cobra. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/cape cobra