# boa

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbəʊ.ə/ · frequency rank #22,904

## Definitions
1. 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.
2. 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.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **by** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-by)
- **BS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bs)
- **br** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-br)
- **Bt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bt)
- **BP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bp)
- **BW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bw)
- **BX** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bx)
- **but** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-but)
- **buy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-buy)
- **boy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-boy)
- **box** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-box)
- **bus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bus)
- **bob** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bob)
- **bro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bro)
- **bye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bye)
- **bow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bow)
- **bug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bug)
- **bud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-bud)
- **BTW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-btw)
- **boo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/boa-vs-boo)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/boa