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horned viper
noun
: a venomous viper (Cerastes cerastes synonym C. cornutus) of North Africa and the Middle East having a horny process over each eye
Examples of horned viper in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Spider-tailed horned viper photo by Omid Mozaffari (video and more information here).
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Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2014
The Saharan horned viper and the sidewinding adder of the Namib desert — which are closely related — have belly scales with uniform pits and no spikes.
—
New York Times, 1 Feb. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'horned viper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1767, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near horned viper
Cite this Entry
“Horned viper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horned%20viper. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
Medical Definition
horned viper
noun
: a common desert-dwelling viper (Aspis cornutus) of Egypt and Asia Minor characterized by a horny scale resembling a spike above each eye
More from Merriam-Webster on horned viper
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for horned viper
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about horned viper
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