constrictor
UK[kənˈstrɪktə]US[kənˈstrɪktər]
n
A snake that kills its prey by coiling around it and squeezing.
n
A muscle that compresses or squeezes a part of the body.
Morpheme Breakdown
con
strict
or
con
together
strict
tighten
or
agent/thing
Etymology
The word 'constrictor' is built from Latin components. The prefix 'con-' intensifies the action of the core verb 'stringere', meaning to draw tight or bind. The past participle stem 'strict-' gives the sense of being tightened. Finally, the agent suffix '-or' is attached to form a noun denoting something that performs the action of constricting. Thus, the literal meaning "a thing that binds tightly together" evolved logically to describe snakes that kill by compression and muscles that narrow bodily passages.
Analysis
Structure: con (together) + strict (tighten) + or (agent/thing)
- con: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "together, with".
- strict: Latin origin, from the root of stringere meaning "to draw tight, bind, compress".
- or: Latin origin, a suffix forming agent nouns, indicating "a person or thing that performs an action".
Examples
The boa constrictor is a large, non-venomous snake found in tropical America.
The doctor identified a problem with the constrictor muscles in the patient's throat.
In the anatomy lesson, we learned about the constrictors of the pharynx.