constrictor

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

New Latin cōn-

Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ-der.

Proto-Indo-European *streyg-der.

New Latin stringō

New Latin cōnstringō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

New Latin -tor

New Latin cōnstrictorbor.

▲

Latin cōnstringō

Latin cōnstrictusbor.

English constrict

▲

Latin -tor

Latin -ātor

Old French -eorbor.

Middle English -our

▲

Latin -torlbor.

English -or

English constrictor

Borrowed from New Latin cōnstrictor, or from constrict + -or.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kənˈstɹɪk.tə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /kənˈstɹɪk.tɚ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪktə(ɹ)

Noun

constrictor (plural constrictors or constrictores)

1. That which constricts or tightens:
   1. (anatomy) A muscle whose contraction narrows a vessel or passage or compresses an organ.

      Hyponyms: bronchoconstrictor, vasoconstrictor

      1. (anatomy) Ellipsis of pharyngeal constrictor (“each of the muscles which constrict the pharynx”).
   2. Ellipsis of boa constrictor, either the species Boa constrictor or a similar snake that kills by constriction.

Derived terms

• bronchoconstrictor
• constrictor knot
• vasoconstrictor

Translations

that which constricts or tightens

• Catalan: constrictor
• Finnish: kuristaja (fi), kiristäjä (fi)

References

• “constrictor”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “constrictor”, in Merriam-Webster.com Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ḱe?

Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm

Proto-Italic *kom

Proto-Italic *kom-

Latin cōn-

Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ-der.

Proto-Indo-European *streyg-der.

Latin stringō

Latin cōnstringō

Proto-Indo-European *-tōr

Proto-Italic *-tōr

Latin -tor

Latin cōnstrictor

From cōnstringō (“to draw or bind together; to compress”) + -tor (“-er, -or”).

Pronunciation

• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [konˈstrik.tor]

Noun

cōnstrictor m (genitive cōnstrictōris); third declension (New Latin)

1. That which constricts; constrictor.

Inflection

Third-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	cōnstrictor	cōnstrictōrēs
genitive	cōnstrictōris	cōnstrictōrum
dative	cōnstrictōrī	cōnstrictōribus
accusative	cōnstrictōrem	cōnstrictōrēs
ablative	cōnstrictōre	cōnstrictōribus
vocative	cōnstrictor	cōnstrictōrēs

Descendants

• → English: constrictor
• French: constricteur
• Italian: costrittore
• Spanish: constrictor

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French constricteur.

Adjective

constrictor m or n (feminine singular constrictoare, masculine plural constrictori, feminine/neuter plural constrictoare)

1. constrictor

Declension

Declension of constrictor

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	constrictor		constrictoare	constrictori	constrictoare
	definite	constrictorul		constrictoarea	constrictorii	constrictoarele
genitive- dative	indefinite	constrictor		constrictoare	constrictori	constrictoare
	definite	constrictorului		constrictoarei	constrictorilor	constrictoarelor

Spanish

Etymology

Formed from the root of Latin cōnstrictus, with the suffix -or; equivalent to New Latin constrictor.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /konstɾiɡˈtoɾ/ [kõns.t̪ɾiɣ̞ˈt̪oɾ]
• Rhymes: -oɾ
• Syllabification: cons‧tric‧tor

Adjective

constrictor (feminine constrictora, masculine plural constrictores, feminine plural constrictoras)

1. constricting

Related terms

• constricción

Further reading

• “constrictor”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025