The Collaborative International Dictionary
Eunectes murinus
Anaconda \An`a*con"da\, n. [Of Ceylonese origin?] (Zo["o]l.) A large South American snake of the Boa family ( Eunectes murinus), which lives near rivers, and preys on birds and small mammals. The name is also applied to a similar large serpent ( Python tigris) of Ceylon.