constrictor

Everyday

1. A snake that kills its prey by wrapping its body around it and squeezing until the animal cannot breathe, such as a boa constrictor or a python. tree →
2. (science) A muscle that tightens or narrows a part of the body. tree →
3. Anything that squeezes or narrows something. tree →

In the lessons

In science and nature lessons constrictors are an example of how predators hunt; boas and pythons are not venomous. In zoo visits and animal books the «boa constrictor» is a famous example. In body lessons a constrictor muscle squeezes, for example in the throat.

Examples

• A boa constrictor wraps around its prey and squeezes. tree →
• Pythons are constrictors, not venomous snakes. tree →
• The zookeeper let us touch a small constrictor. tree →
• The constrictor swallowed the rat whole. tree →
• Constrictor muscles in your throat help you swallow. tree →
• In the story, the jungle explorer met a huge constrictor hanging from a tree. tree →

Note

Plural «constrictors». From the verb «constrict», to squeeze or make narrower. Myth: constrictors do not usually crush bones; they stop the prey's blood flow and breathing. Spelling: «-or» not «-er».