A cobra is a venomous snake known for spreading the skin on its neck into a hood when it feels threatened. Cobras live mainly in Africa and Asia.
“Cobra” comes from Portuguese “cobra de capelo,” meaning “hooded snake,” from “cobra” (snake) and “capelo” (hood). Over time, the phrase was shortened in European languages to just “cobra.”
The name “cobra” hides a full description inside it: it’s really a “hooded snake.” That dramatic hood, which makes the cobra so iconic, is literally baked into the word’s origin.
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