Meanings
nounblack mamba (plural black mambas)
plural black mambas
- A large venomous snake found in Africa, taxonomic name Dendroaspis polylepis. Despite the name, this species of snake is not black; its colour ranges widely from olive-brown, khaki or grey, sometimes to darker hues, especially when old. The inside of the mouth is black, but in spite of a recent urban legend there is no indication that that has anything to do with the name "black mamba", which is a much older usage than any such suggestion.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna venomous snake from southern Africa noted for the black interior of its mouth
Similar
Dendroaspis polylepis
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Predominantly the Zulu language iMamba
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan mamba negra
- mamba negraA large venomous snake
Finnish mustamamba
- mustamambaA large venomous snake
French mamba noir
- mamba noirA large venomous snake
Russian чёрная ма́мба
- чёрная ма́мба (čórnaja mámba)A large venomous snake
Swahili songwe class 9/10 animate, mamba
- songwe class 9/10 animateA large venomous snake
- mambaA large venomous snake
Cite this entry
APA
black mamba. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20mamba
MLA
“black mamba.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20mamba. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “black mamba,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20mamba.
Source: black mamba on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.