mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: any of several chiefly arboreal venomous green or black elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa

Examples of mamba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to dozens of snake species, but the most deadly and feared are the puff adder, cobra and black mamba. —Brian Otieno, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025

After its start in 1949, the orchestra was known for its symphonic jazz, mamba and conjunto polkas. —Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American-Statesman, 18 Jan. 2024

Per a report from The Telegraph, Dingo was bitten by an Eastern green mamba. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

And a gladiator sandal recalled the coils of the mamba snake. —WWD, 23 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Zulu imamba

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: any of several African poisonous snakes related to the cobras but lacking a hood

Medical Definition

mamba

noun

mam·​ba ˈmäm-bə  ˈmam- 

: any of several venomous elapid snakes (genus Dendroaspis) of sub-Saharan Africa that are related to the cobras but lack a dilatable hood

especially : a southern African snake (D. angusticeps) that has a light or olive-green phase and a black phase, that attains in the latter phase a length of 12 feet (3.66 meters), and that is noted for the quickness with which it inflicts its often fatal bite