Definition

1. Noun:
   • Python: A very large, non-venomous constricting snake. In modern usage, this is the primary, literal meaning.
   • Monstrous serpent / Ogre snake: A mythical, often malevolent giant snake or python spirit, frequently depicted in folk tales and legends as a creature that harms people.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong rừng nhiệt đới có thể có những con mãng xà rất lớn. (In the tropical forest, there can be very large pythons.)
  • Truyện cổ tích kể về một mãng xà thành tinh sống trong hang động. (The folktale tells of an ogre snake spirit living in a cave.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "mãng xà" carries a stronger, more formidable connotation than the general word for snake () or even the common word for python (). It implies great size, power, and often a sense of ancient danger or mystique.
• In literature and folklore, encountering a "mãng xà" typically represents a significant trial or evil force that the hero must overcome.

Variants and Related Words

• Trăn (n): Python. This is the standard, modern zoological term.
• Xà tinh (n): Serpent spirit; snake demon. A more general term for a mythical snake monster.

Synonyms

• Python (for the literal meaning).
• Giant serpent, monstrous snake (for the folkloric meaning).

Related Idioms and Cultural References

• "Mãng xà" is a classic antagonist in Vietnamese folk stories, such as the tale of Thạch Sanh. In this story, the hero Thạch Sanh kills a "mãng xà" to save a princess, establishing a common narrative trope of good triumphing over a monstrous evil.
• The phrase "nanh độc mãng xà" (the venomous fangs of the python) is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a deeply malicious and dangerous person, even though pythons are not venomous. This usage stems from the creature's fearsome legendary reputation.

noun

1. python