boa

/ˈbəʊə/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbəʊə/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbō-ə/ (ame, mw)

boa — noun

  • boasingular
  • boasplural

1. a long narrow decorative wrap, usually made of feathers, fur, or very soft fabri

1.名詞C2
釋義

a long narrow decorative wrap, usually made of feathers, fur, or very soft fabric, worn loosely round the neck or across the shoulders.

例句

The singer walked onstage in a silver dress and a red boa.

wear + boa for stage costume

At the costume shop, Priya chose a black boa for the school play.

同義詞
  • stole

    a broader fashion word for a woman's shoulder wrap, often more formal

  • scarf

    the everyday general word; not usually as showy as a boa

  • wrap

    general term for cloth worn around the shoulders or upper body

用法筆記

Chiefly seen in fashion, costume, and theatre contexts, often in the fixed phrase 'feather boa'. Much less common in ordinary clothing talk than 'scarf' or 'wrap'.

常見錯誤

❌She wore a wool boa in winter.
✅She wore a wool scarf in winter.
💡a 'boa' is usually a decorative wrap, not an ordinary winter scarf.

2. in science, the name for a group of related large snakes living in warm parts of

2.名詞C2
釋義

in science, the name for a group of related large snakes living in warm parts of the Americas.

例句

In the museum guide, Boa is listed as a genus from the Americas.

taxonomy: Boa as a genus name

After a new study, the zoo guide no longer placed that island snake in Boa.

同義詞
  • genus Boa

    the exact scientific label, often used in formal taxonomy writing

  • boa genus

    plain English way to describe the same taxonomic group

用法筆記

Usually written with a capital B because it is a genus name. Distinguish from sense 3, where lower-case 'boa' means one animal rather than the scientific group.

常見錯誤

❌The animal belongs to boa.
✅The animal belongs to Boa.
💡in scientific naming, the genus takes a capital letter.

3. a large snake, especially a boa constrictor, that kills animals by wrapping itse

3.名詞C2
釋義

a large snake, especially a boa constrictor, that kills animals by wrapping itself tightly around them.

例句

The zoo keeper lifted a young boa with both hands.

A boa lay across the warm rock under the glass lamp.

同義詞
  • boa constrictor

    more specific, often used for the best-known species

  • constrictor

    broader term for any snake that kills by squeezing

  • snake

    very general word, with no information about size or hunting method

反義詞
  • viper

    a different kind of snake, usually known for venom rather than constriction

用法筆記

Often appears in the compound 'boa constrictor'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the animal itself and is written with a lower-case b in ordinary English.

常見錯誤

❌The zoo's boa bit the mouse with venom.
✅The zoo's boa killed the mouse by squeezing it.
💡boas are constrictors, not venomous snakes.