What does "cobra" mean?
Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Naja.
Cobra
/ˈkəʊbɹə/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Naja.
- Grammar: cobra is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: art, asp, cobra snake, group.
- Useful contrasts: nonvenomous snake.
- Usage evidence: Tom died three weeks ago after being bitten by a cobra.
How to use "cobra"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "cobra" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "cobra" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "cobra" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "cobra" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "cobra" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "art" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "cobra", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Naja.
"In the pools, too, was a species of small alligator or enormous iguana, I do not know which, that fed, Billali told me, upon the waterfowl, also large quantities of a hideous black water-snake, of which the bite is very dangerous, though not, I gathered, so deadly as a cobra's or a puff adder's."
- 2 A cabinet committee meeting that would use a COBR room UK, broadly
- 3 venomous Asiatic and African elapid snakes that can expand the skin of the neck into a hood wordnet
- 4 A type of lanyard knot, thought to resemble a snake in its shape.
- 5 A cabinet committee that would meet using a COBR room UK, broadly
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Cabinet Office Briefing Room A. UK, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of COBRA. UK, alt-of
"Boris Johnson was accused on Saturday of being “missing in action” after failing to attend a Cobra meeting to discuss the national heatwave emergency following predictions that thousands could die in the coming days."
- 3 Acronym of Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms. UK, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, broadly
- 4 A male given name. rare
- 5 Initialism of Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, especially the provision that allows some employees to continue their group-based health insurance after leaving a job; also, health insurance obtained under this law. US, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
"There were COBRA forms to fill out for insurance, and unemployment to file for."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
nonvenomous snake
Example
"Tom died three weeks ago after being bitten by a cobra."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "cobra"?
Common synonyms include: art, asp, cobra snake, group, hooded cobra, movement.
How do you use "cobra" in a sentence?
Tom died three weeks ago after being bitten by a cobra.
How do you pronounce "cobra"?
Pronounced /ˈkəʊbɹə/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese cobra, from Latin colubra (“a female snake”).