boa
/ˈboʊ.ə/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.18 in modern English
5
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
2
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of a group of large American snakes, of the genus Boa, subfamily Boinae, or family Boidae, including the boa constrictor and the emperor boa of Mexico.
noun
A type of long scarf; typically made from synthetic or real feathers (or occasionally fur), and usually worn by being draped across the shoulders with the ends hanging low, sometimes also with a loop around the neck.
noun
A member of a Bwa-speaking ethnic group of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
noun
Abbreviation of basin of attraction; the gravitational center of a supercluster of galaxies; a Great Attractor.
name
Initialism of British Olympic Association.
Example Sentences
Etymology
From Middle English boa, from Latin boa (“large snake”), a species of serpent mentioned in Pliny's Naturalis Historia (Natural History). The scarf was named attributively, for its resemblance to the snake when worn.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: boa
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈboʊ.ə/
- British English: /ˈbəʊ.ə/