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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).
—
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
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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 7 Feb. 2025.
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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