# boa
## English
### 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.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈbəʊ.ə/, (obsolete) /bɔː/
* Audio (Southern England):(file)
* (US) IPA: /ˈboʊ.ə/
* Rhymes: -əʊə

### Noun

boa (plural boas or (obsolete) boæ)
* 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.
* 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.
** 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVIII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 220:Do not take up your boa as if it were the rope with which you meant to hang yourself; nor wrap your shawl round you as if it were your shroud.

#### Derived terms

* banana boa
* boaed
* emerald tree boa
* feather boa
* northern eyelash boa
* rainbow boa
* rosy boa
* rubber boa
* sand boa
* tree boa
* water boa

#### Translations
### See also

* Boidae on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Boa on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

### Anagrams

* Åbo, bao, AOB, oba, Abo, ABO, BAO, a.o.b., Oba., OAB, Bao, abo, OBA, A/B/O

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin boa (“large snake”). Doublet of boà.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈbɔ.ə]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈbo.a]

### Noun

boa f (plural boes)
* boa (snake)
* scaly dragonfish (Stomias boa boa)
    Synonym: boa marina

#### Derived terms

* boa constrictora

### Further reading

* “boa” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “boa”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “boa” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “boa” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Danish
### Etymology

From Latin boa (“large snake”).

### Noun

boa c (singular definite boaen, plural indefinite boaer)
* boa (snake)
* boa (item of clothing)

#### Synonyms

* boaslange

#### Derived terms

* boaslange
* fjerboa
* kongeboa

### References

* “boa” in Den Danske Ordbog

## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch boa, from Latin boa. The use for scarf derived from French boa.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈboː.aː/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: boa
* Rhymes: -oːaː

### Noun

boa m (plural boa's, diminutive boaatje n)
* boa, snake of the genus Boa
* fur or plumed scarf, boa

#### Descendants

* → Indonesian: boa

## Esperanto
### Etymology

From bo- +‎ -a.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈboa]
* Rhymes: -oa
* Hyphenation: bo‧a

### Adjective

boa (accusative singular boan, plural boaj, accusative plural boajn)
* Related by marriage (rarely used; bo- is usually a prefix).

## Fala
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈboa/
* Rhymes: -oa
* Syllabification: bo‧a

### Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese voda (“wedding”), from Latin vōta (“vows”).

#### Alternative forms

* boda (Lagarteiru, Valverdeñu)

#### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* (Mañegu) wedding

### Etymology 2

Borrowed from Spanish boa, from Latin boa.

#### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* boa

### Etymology 3
#### Adjective

boa
* feminine singular of bo (“good”)

### References

* Valeš, Miroslav (2021) Diccionariu de A Fala: lagarteiru, mañegu, valverdeñu (web)‎, 2nd edition, Minde, Portugal: CIDLeS, published 2022, →ISBN

## Finnish
### Etymology

From Latin boa.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbo.ɑ/, [ˈbo̞.ɑ̝]
* IPA: /ˈboː.ɑ/, [ˈbo̞ː.ɑ̝]
* Rhymes: -o.ɑ
* Hyphenation: boa

### Noun

boa
* boa (snake)

#### Declension

Possessive forms of boa (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation) :
first-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
boani
boani
accusative
nom.
boani
boani
gen.
boani
genitive
boani
boieni boaini $^{rare}$
partitive
boaani
boiani
inessive
boassani
boissani
elative
boastani
boistani
illative
boaani
boiini
adessive
boallani
boillani
ablative
boaltani
boiltani
allative
boalleni
boilleni
essive
boanani
boinani
translative
boakseni
boikseni
abessive
boattani
boittani
instructive
comitative
—boineni
second-person singular possessor
singular
plural
nominative
boasi
boasi
accusative
nom.
boasi
boasi
gen.
boasi
genitive
boasi
boiesi boaisi $^{rare}$
partitive
boaasi
boiasi
inessive
boassasi
boissasi
elative
boastasi
boistasi
illative
boaasi
boiisi
adessive
boallasi
boillasi
ablative
boaltasi
boiltasi
allative
boallesi
boillesi
essive
boanasi
boinasi
translative
boaksesi
boiksesi
abessive
boattasi
boittasi
instructive
comitative
—boinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
boamme
boamme
accusative
nom.
boamme
boamme
gen.
boamme
genitive
boamme
boiemme boaimme $^{rare}$
partitive
boaamme
boiamme
inessive
boassamme
boissamme
elative
boastamme
boistamme
illative
boaamme
boiimme
adessive
boallamme
boillamme
ablative
boaltamme
boiltamme
allative
boallemme
boillemme
essive
boanamme
boinamme
translative
boaksemme
boiksemme
abessive
boattamme
boittamme
instructive
comitative
—boinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular
plural
nominative
boanne
boanne
accusative
nom.
boanne
boanne
gen.
boanne
genitive
boanne
boienne boainne $^{rare}$
partitive
boaanne
boianne
inessive
boassanne
boissanne
elative
boastanne
boistanne
illative
boaanne
boiinne
adessive
boallanne
boillanne
ablative
boaltanne
boiltanne
allative
boallenne
boillenne
essive
boananne
boinanne
translative
boaksenne
boiksenne
abessive
boattanne
boittanne
instructive
comitative
—boinenne
third-person possessor
singular
plural
nominative
boansa
boansa
accusative
nom.
boansa
boansa
gen.
boansa
genitive
boansa
boiensa boainsa $^{rare}$
partitive
boaansa
boiaan boiansa
inessive
boassaan boassansa
boissaan boissansa
elative
boastaan boastansa
boistaan boistansa
illative
boaansa
boiinsa
adessive
boallaan boallansa
boillaan boillansa
ablative
boaltaan boaltansa
boiltaan boiltansa
allative
boalleen boallensa
boilleen boillensa
essive
boanaan boanansa
boinaan boinansa
translative
boakseen boaksensa
boikseen boiksensa
abessive
boattaan boattansa
boittaan boittansa
instructive
comitative
—boineen boinensa :

#### Derived terms

* boakäärme
* kuningasboa
* smaragdipuuboa

### Further reading

* “boa”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎ (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-02

### Anagrams

* abo

## French
### Etymology

From Latin boa (“large snake”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bɔ.a/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

boa m (plural boas)
* boa (snake)
* boa (scarf)

#### Derived terms

* boa constricteur

### Further reading

* “boa”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Galician
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈboɐ/
* Rhymes: -oɐ, -oa
* Hyphenation: bo‧a

### Etymology 1

From Latin boa (“large snake”).

#### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* boa (snake)
* boa (scarf)

### Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

#### Adjective

boa
* feminine singular of bo

### Further reading

* “boa”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

## Indonesian
### Etymology

From Dutch boa, from Middle Dutch boa, from Latin boa.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈboa̯]
* Hyphenation: boa

### Noun

boa (plural boa-boa)
* boa, snake of the genus Boa
* fur or plumed scarf, boa

### Further reading

* “boa” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

## Italian
### Etymology

From Latin boa.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɔ.a/
* Rhymes: -ɔa
* Hyphenation: bò‧a

### Noun

boa m (invariable)
* boa (snake)
* boa (scarf)

### Noun

boa f (plural boe)
* buoy

### References

* ↑ boa in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

## Katembri
### Noun

boa
* moon

### References

* Čestmír Loukotka, ‎Johannes Wilbert (editor), Classification of South American Indian Languages (1968, Los Angeles: Latin American Studies Center, University of California), page(s) 88-89

## Latin
### Etymology 1

First mentioned by Pliny, of unknown origin. Folk etymology connected it to Ancient Greek βοῦς (boûs, “ox”).

#### Noun

boa f (genitive boae); first declension
* A large snake native to Roman Italy.
* A disease, the measles or smallpox.

##### Declension

First-declension noun.

### Etymology 2
#### Verb

boā
* second-person singular present active imperative of boō

### References

* “boa”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* "boa", in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
* ↑ Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “boa”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

## Lindu
### Noun

boa
* lie; falsehood

## Norwegian Bokmål
### Noun

boa m (definite singular boaen, indefinite plural boaer, definite plural boaene)
* boa

## Norwegian Nynorsk
### Noun

boa m (definite singular boaen, indefinite plural boaer or boaar, definite plural boaene or boaane)
* boa

## Polish
### Etymology

Borrowed from French boa. First attested in 1836.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɔ.a/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔa
* Syllabification: bo‧a

### Noun

boa m animal (indeclinable)
* boa (any snake of the genus Boa)
    duży boa ― a large boa
    niewielki boa ― a small boa
    kilkumetrowy boa ― a boa a few meters long
    wygłodzony boa ― a starving boa
    wąż boa ― a boa snake
    cielsko boa ― a boa carcass

#### Derived terms

* boa dusiciel

### Noun

boa n (indeclinable)
* boa (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)
    futrzane boa ― a furry boa
    pierzaste boa ― a feather boa
    puchowe boa ― a down boa
    wyłysiałe boa ― a featherless boa
    boa z piór ― a boa made of feathers
    boa ze strusich piór ― a boa made of ostrich feathers
    szal z boa ― a boa scarf
    poprawiać boa ― to fix a boa
    włożyć na szyję boa ― to wrap a boa around one's neck
    owinięty boa ― wrapped in a boa

### References

* ↑ Mirosław Bańko, Lidia Wiśniakowska (2021) “boa”, in Wielki słownik wyrazów obcych, →ISBN
* ↑ Kurjer Warszawski‎, number R.16, nr 328, 1836, page 1612

### Further reading

* boa in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* boa in Polish dictionaries at PWN
* boa in PWN's encyclopedia

## Portuguese
### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbo(w).ɐ/ [ˈbo(ʊ̯).ɐ]
* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbo(w).ɐ/ [ˈbo(ʊ̯).ɐ]
** (Southern Brazil) IPA: /ˈbo(w).a/ [ˈbo(ʊ̯).a]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈbo.ɐ/
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈbo.ɐ/
** (Northern Portugal) IPA: /ˈbo(w).ɐ/
* Rhymes: -oɐ, -owɐ
* Hyphenation: bo‧a

### Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese bõa, from Latin bona, feminine of bonus (“good”). Cognate with Galician boa. See more at bom.

#### Adjective

boa
* feminine singular of bom

#### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* an interesting story, joke or news

#### Interjection

boa!
* good one!, well done!, all right! (expresses approval, applause or admiration)

### Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from taxonomic name Boa, from Latin boa (“large Italian snake species”).

#### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* boa (any snake of the Boa genus)
    Synonym: jiboia

### Further reading

* “boa”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French boa.

### Noun

boa m (uncountable)
* boa constrictor

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin boa.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈboa/ [ˈbo.a]
* Audio (Spain):(file)
* Rhymes: -oa
* Syllabification: bo‧a

### Noun

boa f (plural boas)
* boa (snake)
* boa (scarf made from feathers)

### Further reading

* “boa”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Swedish
### Etymology

From Latin boa.

### Noun

boa c
* boa (snake)
    Synonym: boaorm
* boa (scarf)

#### Derived terms

* boaorm
* fjäderboa

### References

* boa in Svensk ordbok (SO)
* boa in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
* boa in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

## Vietnamese
### Etymology

From French pourboire (“tip”, literally “for-drink”).

### Pronunciation

* (Hà Nội) IPA: [ʔɓwaː˧˧]
* (Huế) IPA: [ʔɓwaː˧˧]
* (Saigon) IPA: [ʔɓwaː˧˧]

### Verb

boa
* to leave a tip; to give gratuity
    tiền boa ― a tip

### Anagrams

* bao