constrictor
constrictor Lexical Profile
constrictor Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any nonvenomous snake, such as a boa, python, or kingsnake, that subdues its prey by coiling tightly around the animal's body until circulation and breathing cease.
"Unlike venomous vipers, a constrictor relies on muscular strength to subdue its prey before swallowing it whole."
A muscle that contracts or narrows a hollow organ, orifice, or passage in the body, such as one of the three pharyngeal constrictor muscles involved in swallowing.
"During swallowing, the pharyngeal constrictors contract sequentially to propel food down into the esophagus."
A person, device, or agent that compresses, narrows, or restricts something.
"High interest rates often act as a constrictor on consumer spending and small business expansion."
• Rhymes for constrictor
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 18th century from Modern Latin constrictor, an agent noun derived from the Latin verb constringere ('to bind together tightly'), formed from com- ('together') and stringere ('to draw tight').