Python

See also: python

Translingual

Python reticulatus at postprandial rest

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn), from Πῡθώ (Pūthṓ), the early name of Delphi, from πύθω (púthō, “to rot, to decay”).

Proper noun

Python m

1. A taxonomic genus within the family Pythonidae – pythons, very large constricting snakes of the Old World tropics.

Hypernyms

• (genus): Eukaryota – superkingdom; Animalia – kingdom; Bilateria – subkingdom; Deuterostomia – infrakingdom; Chordata – phylum; Vertebrata – subphylum; Gnathostomata – infraphylum; Tetrapoda – superclass; Reptilia – class; Diapsida – subclass; Lepidosauromorpha – infraclass; Lepidosauria – superorder; Squamata – order; Henophidia – infraorder; Pythonidae – family; Pythoninae – subfamily

Hyponyms

• (genus): Python molurus – type species; Python anchietae, Python bivittatus, Python breitensteini, Python brongersmai, Python curtus, Python kyaiktiyo, Python natalensis, Python regius, Python sebae – other extant species; †Python europaeus – extinct species

References

• Python (genus) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Python on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Python (genus) on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• Python at Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
• Python at National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Python at Animal Diversity Web
• “Python”, in Paleobiology Database, 2026

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn), from Πῡθώ (Pūthṓ), the early name of Delphi, from πύθω (púthō, “to rot, to decay”).

The programming language is named after Monty Python.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪθən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪθɑn/, /ˈpaɪθɔn/
• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈpaitɔn/

  • Audio (Ireland):

    (file)

• Rhymes: (Received Pronunciation) -aɪθən, (General American) -aɪθɑn, -aɪθɔn

Proper noun

Python

1. (Greek mythology) The earth-dragon of Delphi, represented as a serpent, killed by Apollo.
   • 1995, Gordon MacDonald Kirkwood, A Short Guide to Classical Mythology, page 11:

     Here Apollo killed a serpent called the Python, and established a great prophetic shrine. Sometimes it is said that the Titaness Themis had the shrine before him, and this, as well as the killing of the Python, suggests that Apollo took over a place already of religious significance, associated with chthonic (i.e., earth) powers.

   • 2000, Otar Lordkipanidze, Phasis: The River and City in Colchis, page 70:

     It would seem, therefore, that what we have on the Phasian phiale is the Python coiled round the omphalos. […] Paintings on Greek pottery and coins have preserved many an example of gods seated on an omphalos, including those of Apollo, Nike, Asclepius and others.⁴¹³ Python on the omphalos must have carried some symbolic meaning.

   • 2005, M. A. Dwight, Taylor Lewis, Grecian and Roman Mythology, page 183:

     Python, says Bailey, is derived from Putho to putrify, and the serpent Python being slain by Apollo, is thus interpreted: by Python is understood the ruin of the waters; Apollo slew this serpent with his arrows; that is, the beams of the sun dispersed the noxious vapours, which destroyed man like a devouring serpent.

2. (computer languages) An interpreted, high-level, general-purpose programming language invented by Guido van Rossum.

Derived terms

• CPython
• Cython
• Monty Python
• Pythoneer
• Pythonesque
• Pythoness
• pythonic
• Pythonish
• Pythonist
• Pythonista
• unpythonic

Translations

Greek mythology

• French: Python (fr) m
• German: Python (de) f
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: Πῡ́θων m (Pū́thōn)

• Inuktitut: ᐲᑐᓐ (piiton)
• Italian: Python m
• Latin: Pȳthōn m
• Marathi: पाय्थन (pāythan)
• Polish: Pyton m
• Portuguese: Piton m
• Russian: Пифон (ru) m (Pifon), Питон (ru) m (Piton)
• Spanish: Python m

A programming language

• French: Python (fr) m
• Hindi: पाइथन (pāithan)
• Japanese: Python (ja), パイソン (Paison)
• Korean: 파이썬 (paisseon)
• Marathi: पाय्थन f (pāythan)
• Persian: پایتون (pâyton)
• Polish: Python (pl) m
• Russian: Пайтон m (Pajton), Питон (ru) m (Piton)
• Vietnamese: Python (vi)

Noun

Python (plural Pythons)

1. (informal) Any member of the comedy troupe Monty Python: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones or Michael Palin.

   John Cleese is perhaps the best-known of the Pythons.

   • 1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 67:

     Its cast included eventual co-Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor and embryo Pythons Graham Chapman and John Cleese.

See also

• python

Further reading

• Python on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Python (programming language) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Typhon, phyton, typhon

French

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pi.tɔ̃/

• Audio (France (Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost)):

  (file)

• Audio (Switzerland (Valais)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Toulouse)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

Proper noun

Python m

1. (computer languages) Python

Anagrams

• typhon

German

Etymology 1

17th century, learned borrowing from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn). In the biological sense since 19th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpyːtɔn/, [ˈpyː.tɔn]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Py‧thon

Noun

Python m (strong, genitive Pythons, plural Pythons) or
Python f (genitive Python, plural Pythons)

1. python (snake)

Usage notes

• The masculine is more strictly standard, but the feminine is quite common (after Schlange and most other words for snakes).

Declension

Declension of Python [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Python	die	Pythons
genitive	eines	des	Pythons	der	Pythons
dative	einem	dem	Python	den	Pythons
accusative	einen	den	Python	die	Pythons

Declension of Python [feminine]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	eine	die	Python	die	Pythons
genitive	einer	der	Python	der	Pythons
dative	einer	der	Python	den	Pythons
accusative	eine	die	Python	die	Pythons

Proper noun

Python m (proper noun, strong, genitive Pythons or (with an article) Python)

1. (Greek mythology) Python

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English Python, ultimately from the same source as etymology 1.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaɪ̯θən/, [ˈpaɪ̯.θn̩], [-sn̩], [-fn̩], (seldom also) /ˈpyːtɔn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Py‧thon

Proper noun

Python n (proper noun, strong, genitive Pythons or (with an article) Python)

1. (computer languages) Python

Declension

Declension of Python [sg-only, neuter, strong]

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Python
genitive	eines	des	Pythons
dative	einem	dem	Python
accusative	ein	das	Python

Further reading

• “Python”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• “Python” in Duden online

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn).

Proper noun

Python m

1. (computer languages) Python

Japanese

Etymology

Borrowed from English Python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pa̠isõ̞ɴ]

Proper noun

Python(パイソン) • (Paison) 

1. (computer languages) Python

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpaj.tõ/ [ˈpaɪ̯.tõ]

Proper noun

Python m

1. (computer languages) Python

Spanish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English Python, from Ancient Greek Πύθων (Púthōn). Doublet of pitón.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpaiton/ [ˈpai̯.t̪õn]
• Rhymes: -aiton
• Syllabification: Py‧thon

Proper noun

Python m

1. (computer languages) Python