cobra
B1Neutral to technical.
Definition
Meaning
A venomous snake, often hooded, native to Africa and Asia.
1. A threatening or formidable person or thing. 2. Slang for a type of convertible car roof mechanism (e.g., Mercedes-Benz SL). 3. (Military) A type of combat aircraft or helicopter (e.g., AH-1 Cobra).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily denotes the snake. Extended meanings rely on metaphorical associations (danger, striking speed, hood-like shape).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The word is equally common in both variants.
Connotations
Identical primary connotations of danger/exoticism. Military/vehicle slang is equally understood.
Frequency
Equal frequency. Slightly higher potential exposure in British English due to historical colonial contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Adj] cobracobra [V-ed]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Cobra effect (an unintended consequence of a policy)”
- “Cobra strike (a sudden, decisive attack)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Possibly in 'cobra effect' to describe a counterproductive business policy.
Academic
Common in zoology, herpetology. Used metaphorically in social sciences for 'cobra effect'.
Everyday
Common when discussing animals, danger, travel, or wildlife documentaries.
Technical
Specific in biology (taxonomy, venom research), military aviation, automotive engineering.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The car's roof can cobra open in just 15 seconds.
- The fighter jet cobraed into a steep climb.
American English
- The roof cobras open smoothly.
- The helicopter cobraed through the canyon.
adjective
British English
- He executed a perfect cobra manoeuvre in the jet.
- Be careful of the cobra posture in yoga.
American English
- The plane performed a cobra roll.
- It was a classic cobra-strike marketing campaign.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I saw a cobra at the zoo.
- A cobra is a dangerous snake.
- The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake.
- The snake charmer played music for the cobra.
- The economic sanction had a cobra effect, actually increasing the illicit trade it aimed to stop.
- The cobra reared up and spread its iconic hood.
- The helicopter, an AH-1 Cobra, provided close air support for the ground troops.
- Her rebuttal was as swift and deadly as a cobra's strike, ending the debate.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a COBRA wearing a COBra hat (its hood) and saying 'CO, BRAh, don't come near!'
Conceptual Metaphor
DANGER IS A COBRA (e.g., 'the political situation is a coiled cobra'). SPEED/PRECISION IS A COBRA STRIKE.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not a general term for 'snake' (змея). It's specifically 'кобра'.
- Do not confuse with 'cabbage' (капуста) due to phonetic similarity.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'cobra' for any large snake (e.g., anaconda, python).
- Misspelling as 'cobera' or 'cobbra'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary meaning of 'cobra'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They are different families of venomous snakes. Cobras are elapids (with fixed front fangs), while vipers have hinged, retractable fangs.
No, only certain species, like the spitting cobra, have the ability to project venom at a threat's eyes.
It's a term from economics for a situation where an attempted solution to a problem makes the problem worse, named after a (likely apocryphal) colonial bounty on cobras that led to people breeding them.
It comes from Portuguese 'cobra de capello', meaning 'snake with a hood', from Latin 'colubra' (snake).