noun
Python
PEYE-thuhn
noun
1
A large, nonvenomous constricting snake that kills prey by squeezing it.
"The python coiled around the rabbit and squeezed until it stopped moving."
"Pet pythons can grow large enough to require a permit in some states."
2
A widely used programming language known for its readable, simple syntax.
"She wrote the data-analysis script in Python."
"Python is often recommended as a first language for new programmers."
How to Use Python
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the snake or the popular programming language — context makes it obvious which.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
Pythons plural, pythons plural
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The _____ coiled around the rabbit and squeezed until it stopped moving.
Etymology
From the Greek myth of Python, the serpent of Delphi slain by Apollo. The programming language was actually named by its creator, Guido van Rossum, after the British comedy group Monty Python, not the snake.