constrictor

Meanings

1. That which constricts or tightens:
2. A muscle whose contraction narrows a vessel or passage or compresses an organ.
3. Ellipsis of pharyngeal constrictor (“each of the muscles which constrict the pharynx”).
4. Ellipsis of boa constrictor, either the species Boa constrictor or a similar snake that kills by constriction.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- New Latin cōn- Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ-der. Proto-Indo-European *streyg-der. New Latin stringō New Latin cōnstringō Proto-Indo-European *-tōr Proto-Italic *-tōr New Latin -tor New Latin cōnstrictorbor. ▲ Latin cōnstringō Latin cōnstrictusbor. English constrict ▲ Latin -tor Latin -ātor Old French -eorbor. Middle English -our ▲ Latin -torlbor. English -or English constrictor Borrowed from New Latin cōnstrictor, or from constrict + -or.

Translations