Karait

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Any of several highly venomous elapid snakes of South and Southeast Asia, often banded in black and white
2. A deadly, nocturnal snake native to South and Southeast Asia whose neurotoxic venom can be fatal to humans
3. A kind of venomous serpent found across South and Southeast Asia, known for its striped body and potent poison

Etymology: The snake's name arrived in English from India, where the Hindi word "karait" was used for several venomous snakes of the genus Bungarus. English speakers borrowed the term during the colonial period, and it appears in the spelling "karait" as well as the now more common "krait", which is simply a variant spelling of the same word. The Hindi word may come from Kurux, a Dravidian language spoken in parts of eastern India, though its exact origin is not firmly established. The snake itself is notorious: kraits are among the most dangerous snakes in South and Southeast Asia, and their neurotoxic venom is far more potent than that of the cobra, which means the borrowed name carried a real warning with it.