Cobra Is Short for Snake With a Hood
A cobra is a venomous snake that spreads a hood when threatened. Its name is a shortened Portuguese phrase describing exactly that.
A cobra is a venomous snake that flattens its neck ribs into a hood when alarmed. The name is a fragment: Portuguese traders in India called it *cobra de capello*, snake with a hood, and English kept only the first word — which in Portuguese just means snake. Strictly, calling it a cobra says nothing more than calling it a snake. A snake charmer's cobra follows the movement of the pipe, not the music; snakes hear very little airborne sound.
- A hooded venomous snake. *An Indian cobra.*
- King cobra — the longest venomous snake. *A king cobra.*
- Hood — the spread neck. *It raised its hood.*
- Portuguese — *cobra de capello*, hooded snake. *The full phrase.*
- Spitting cobra — one that sprays venom. *A spitting cobra.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cobra | A large cobra. |
| Plural | cobras | Two cobras. |
| Compound | king cobra | A king cobra. |
| Portuguese | cobra | Snake. |
| Portuguese | capello | Hood. |
- The cobra raised its hood.Behaviour.
- King cobras can exceed five metres.Size.
- Cobra de capello means hooded snake.Etymology.
Snake charming, explained
- Snakes have no external ears and hear little airborne sound
- The cobra tracks the moving pipe, not the tune
- Rising and swaying is a defensive posture, not a dance
- The practice is now restricted in India under wildlife law
- A king cobra eats mainly other snakes
Portuguese *cobra de capello*, hooded snake, from Latin *colubra*, a snake. English shortened it in the 1800s.
Do cobras dance to music?
No. They follow the movement of the charmer's pipe. Snakes detect little airborne sound.
What does cobra mean in Portuguese?
Simply snake. The hood is named by the rest of the phrase, de capello, which English dropped.