ACON'TIAS, noun [Gr. a dart.] 1. A species of serpent, called dart-snake, or jaculum, from its manner of darting on its prey. This serpent is about three feet in length; of a light gray color with black spots, resembling eyes; the belly perfectly white. It is a native of Africa and the Mediterranean isles; is the swiftest of its kind, and coils itself upon a tree, from which it darts upon its prey. 2. A comet or meteor resembling the serpent.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI