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Definition of false water cobra
false water cobra
Plural:false water cobras
false water cobra Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large, mildly venomous, semi-aquatic snake native to South America that defensively flattens its neck to resemble the hood of a true cobra.
Example
"During our herpetology expedition in the Brazilian Pantanal, we observed a false water cobra hunting for amphibians along the muddy riverbank."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its name, it is not a true cobra (Elapidae) but a rear-fanged colubrid; its venom is generally much less dangerous to humans than that of a true cobra, though caution is still required.
• 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 False water cobra. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/false water cobra