cobra

cobra — 名詞

1. a highly venomous snake found in Africa and parts of Asia, known for raising the

1.名詞B1
釋義

眼鏡蛇

一種有毒的蛇，受威脅時頸部會擴張成扁平狀

a highly venomous snake found in Africa and parts of Asia, known for raising the front of its body and stretching the loose skin around its neck outward into a wide hood when it feels threatened or wants to appear larger.

例句

The zookeeper warned visitors that the cobra in the glass cage could spit venom.

動物管理員警告遊客，玻璃籠子裡的眼鏡蛇會噴射毒液。

warning pattern: warned that + [clause]

A cobra rose from the basket and spread its hood at the snake charmer's tune.

一條眼鏡蛇隨著弄蛇人的笛聲從籃子裡昂起頭，張開了頸部。

descriptive: cobra + spread its hood

同義詞
  • viper

    Vipers and cobras are both venomous but belong to different families; vipers have heat-sensing pits and thicker bodies, while cobras are elapids with neurotoxic venom.

  • mamba

    Like the cobra, the mamba is an elapid snake with neurotoxic venom, but mambas are native only to Africa and are generally faster and more aggressive.

文法句型

cobra + verb (e.g. spreads, rises, strikes)

用法筆記

Can be combined with species names such as king cobra (a separate, larger species, Ophiophagus hannah) or spitting cobra (which sprays venom). The snake's defensive posture — raising the forebody and expanding the neck into a hood — is a widely recognised trait in popular culture and nature media.

常見錯誤

❌The cobra's neck got bigger when it was angry.
✅The cobra spread its hood when it felt threatened.
💡The expanded part is called a hood, not the neck, and the snake's reaction is defensive, not emotional.

2. a group of senior UK government officials, military leaders, and expert advisers

2.名詞C1
釋義

內閣應變會

英國政府因應重大緊急事件的委員會

a group of senior UK government officials, military leaders, and expert advisers that meets during major national emergencies to decide on and coordinate the country's response.

例句

COBRA met at dawn to discuss the emergency response to the widespread flooding.

內閣應變會在黎明開會，討論大範圍水災的應變措施。

The prime minister chaired a COBRA meeting after the cyber attack was reported.

首相在網路攻擊事件通報後主持了一場內閣應變會會議。

collocation: chair a COBRA meeting

文法句型

COBRA + verb (e.g. meets, convened)

chair + a + COBRA + meeting

用法筆記

Always written in capital letters (COBRA) when referring to the committee. In news coverage, 'COBRA' usually refers to the group of officials and the meeting itself rather than the physical rooms. The acronym is occasionally spelled COBR, but COBRA is far more common in British media. The name comes from the Cabinet Office's briefing rooms where these meetings first took place, though the term now refers mainly to the committee itself.

常見錯誤

❌COBRA is a room in London where the British government meets.
✅COBRA is the emergency committee that meets to handle national crises.
💡COBRA primarily refers to the committee and its meetings, not the physical briefing rooms.