snake : Idioms & Phrases

Index


african coral snake

  • noun small widely distributed arboreal snake of southern Africa banded in black and orange
    Aspidelaps lubricus.
WordNet

asian coral snake

  • noun of India
WordNet

australian coral snake

  • noun small venomous but harmless snake marked with black-and-white on red
    Rhynchoelaps australis.
WordNet

banded sand snake

  • noun a sand snake of southwestern United States; lives in fine to coarse sand or loamy soil in which it `swims'; banding resembles that of coral snakes
    Chilomeniscus cinctus.
WordNet

banded water snake

  • noun in some classifications placed in the genus Nerodia; western United States snake that seldom ventures far from water
    Nerodia sipedon; banded water snake; Natrix sipedon.
WordNet

black rat snake

  • noun large harmless shiny black North American snake
    blacksnake; mountain blacksnake; Elaphe obsoleta; pilot blacksnake.
WordNet

black snake

Black" snake`, Black"snake noun (Also<
  • Black snake
  • Blacksnake
)
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A snake of a black color, of which two species are common in the United States, the Bascanium constrictor, or racer, sometimes six feet long, and the Scotophis Alleghaniensis, seven or eight feet long. ✍ The name is also applied to various other black serpents, as Natrix atra of Jamaica.
Webster 1913

black-headed snake

  • noun small secretive ground-living snake; found from central United States to Argentina
WordNet

Blind snake

  • noun wormlike burrowing snake of warm regions having vestigial eyes
    blind snake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a small, harmless, burrowing snake, of the family Typhlopidæ, with rudimentary eyes.
Webster 1913

Blind snake, Garter snake, Green snake, King snake, Milk snake, Rock snake, Water snake

  • etc. See under Blind, Garter, etc.
Webster 1913

Bull snake

  • noun any of several large harmless rodent-eating North American burrowing snakes
    bull snake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), the pine snake of the United States.
Webster 1913

bull-snake

  • noun any of several large harmless rodent-eating North American burrowing snakes
    bull snake.
WordNet

Carpet snake

  • noun Australian python with a variegated pattern on its back
    Morelia spilotes variegatus; Python variegatus.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), an Australian snake. See Diamond snake, under Diamond.
Webster 1913

chicken snake

  • noun large North American snake
WordNet

coachwhip snake

  • noun a whipsnake of southern United States and Mexico; tail resembles a braided whip
    Masticophis flagellum; coachwhip.
WordNet
Coach"whip` snake"
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A large, slender, harmless snake of the southern United States (Masticophis flagelliformis). ✍ Its long and tapering tail has the scales so arranged and colored as to give it a braided appearance, whence the name.
Webster 1913

colubrid snake

  • noun mostly harmless temperate-to-tropical terrestrial or arboreal or aquatic snakes
    colubrid.
WordNet

common garter snake

  • noun a garter snake that is widespread in North America
    Thamnophis sirtalis.
WordNet

common water snake

  • noun in some classifications placed in the genus Nerodia; western United States snake that seldom ventures far from water
    Nerodia sipedon; banded water snake; Natrix sipedon.
WordNet

congo snake

  • noun aquatic eel-shaped salamander having two pairs of very small feet; of still muddy waters in the southern United States
    congo eel; amphiuma; blind eel.
WordNet
Con"go snake"
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) An amphibian (Amphiuma means) of the order Urodela, found in the southern United States. See Amphiuma.
Webster 1913

Coral snake

  • noun any of various venomous elapid snakes of Asia and Africa and Australia
    coral snake.
  • noun any of several venomous New World snakes brilliantly banded in red and black and either yellow or white; widely distributed in South America and Central America
    coral snake; harlequin-snake.
WordNet
  • . (Zo) (a) A small, venomous, Brazilian snake (Elaps corallinus), coral-red, with black bands. (b) A small, harmless, South American snake (Tortrix scytale).
Webster 1913

corn snake

  • noun large harmless snake of southeastern United States; often on farms
    Elaphe guttata; corn snake.
WordNet

Diamond snake

  • (Zoöl.), a harmless snake of Australia (Morelia spilotes); the carpet snake.
Webster 1913

eastern coral snake

  • noun ranges from Central America to southeastern United States
    Micrurus fulvius.
WordNet

eastern ground snake

  • noun in some classifications placed in genus Haldea; small reddish-grey snake of eastern North America
    Potamophis striatula; Haldea striatula.
WordNet

eastern indigo snake

  • noun a variety of indigo snake
    Drymarchon corais couperi.
WordNet

elapid snake

  • noun any of numerous venomous fanged snakes of warmer parts of both hemispheres
    elapid.
WordNet

Fetich snake

  • (Zoöl.), a large African snake (Python Sebæ) used by the natives as a fetich.
Webster 1913

Garter snake

  • noun any of numerous nonvenomous longitudinally-striped viviparous North American and Central American snakes
    garter snake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), one of several harmless American snakes of the genus Eutænia, of several species (esp. E. saurita and E. sirtalis); one of the striped snakes; so called from its conspicuous stripes of color.
Webster 1913

glass snake

  • noun snakelike lizard of Europe and Asia and North America with vestigial hind limbs and the ability to regenerate its long fragile tail
    glass lizard; glass snake.
WordNet

glass-snake

Glass"-snake` noun
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A long, footless lizard (Ophiosaurus ventralis), of the Southern United States; -- so called from its fragility, the tail easily breaking into small pieces. It grows to the length of three feet. The name is applied also to similar species found in the Old World.
Webster 1913

glossy snake

  • noun nocturnal burrowing snake of western United States with shiny tan scales
    Arizona elegans.
WordNet

gopher snake

  • noun large dark-blue nonvenomous snake that invades burrows; found in southern North America and Mexico
    gopher snake; Drymarchon corais.
  • noun bull snake of western North America that invades rodent burrows
    Pituophis melanoleucus.
WordNet

Grass snake

  • noun harmless European snake with a bright yellow collar; common in England
    grass snake; ring snake; Natrix natrix.
  • noun any of numerous nonvenomous longitudinally-striped viviparous North American and Central American snakes
    garter snake.
  • noun either of two North American chiefly insectivorous snakes that are green in color
    grass snake.
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The common English, or ringed, snake (Tropidonotus natrix). (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States. See Green snake, under Green.
Webster 1913

Green snake

  • noun any of numerous African colubrid snakes
  • noun either of two North American chiefly insectivorous snakes that are green in color
    grass snake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), one of two harmless American snakes (Cyclophis vernalis, and C. æstivus). They are bright green in color.
Webster 1913

Ground snake

  • noun small shy brightly-ringed terrestrial snake of arid or semiarid areas of western North America
    Sonora semiannulata.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a small burrowing American snake (Celuta amoena). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt tail.
Webster 1913

Hair snake

  • . See Gordius.
Webster 1913

Harlequin snake

  • (Zoöl.), a small, poisonous snake (Elaps fulvius), ringed with red and black, found in the Southern United States.
Webster 1913

harlequin-snake

  • noun any of several venomous New World snakes brilliantly banded in red and black and either yellow or white; widely distributed in South America and Central America
    coral snake; harlequin-snake.
WordNet

hognose snake

  • noun harmless North American snake with upturned nose; may spread its head and neck or play dead when disturbed
    puff adder; sand viper.
WordNet

Hooded snake

  • . See Cobra de capello, Asp, Haje, etc.
Webster 1913

Hoop snake

  • noun any of various harmless North American snakes that were formerly believed to take tail in mouth and roll along like a hoop
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a harmless snake of the Southern United States (Abaster erythrogrammus); so called from the mistaken notion that it curves itself into a hoop, taking its tail into its mouth, and rolls along with great velocity.
Webster 1913

Horned snake

  • (Zoöl.), the cerastes.
Webster 1913

House snake

  • noun nonvenomous tan and brown king snake with an arrow-shaped occipital spot; southeastern ones have red stripes like coral snakes
    milk adder; checkered adder; house snake; Lampropeltis triangulum.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), the milk snake.
Webster 1913

indian rat snake

  • noun enter buildings in pursuit of prey
    Ptyas mucosus.
WordNet

Indigo snake

  • noun large dark-blue nonvenomous snake that invades burrows; found in southern North America and Mexico
    gopher snake; Drymarchon corais.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), the gopher snake.
Webster 1913

joint snake

  • noun snakelike lizard of Europe and Asia and North America with vestigial hind limbs and the ability to regenerate its long fragile tail
    glass lizard; glass snake.
WordNet

King snake

  • noun any of numerous nonvenomous North American constrictors; feed on other snakes and small mammals
    kingsnake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a large, nearly black, harmless snake (Ophiobolus getulus) of the Southern United States; so called because it kills and eats other kinds of snakes, including even the rattlesnake.
Webster 1913

Lance snake

  • (Zoöl.), the fer-de-lance.
Webster 1913

leaf-nosed snake

  • noun any of various pale blotched snakes with a blunt snout of southwestern North America
WordNet

lined snake

  • noun secretive snake of city dumps and parks as well as prairies and open woods; feeds on earthworms; of central United States
    Tropidoclonion lineatum.
WordNet

Lizard snake

  • (Zoöl.), the garter snake (Eutænia sirtalis).
Webster 1913

lyre snake

  • noun mildly venomous snake with a lyre-shaped mark on the head; found in rocky areas from southwestern United States to Central America
WordNet

Milk snake

  • noun nonvenomous tan and brown king snake with an arrow-shaped occipital spot; southeastern ones have red stripes like coral snakes
    milk adder; checkered adder; house snake; Lampropeltis triangulum.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a harmless American snake (Ophibolus triangulus, or O. eximius). It is variously marked with white, gray, and red. Called also milk adder, chicken snake, house snake, etc.
Webster 1913

new world coral snake

  • noun any of several venomous New World snakes brilliantly banded in red and black and either yellow or white; widely distributed in South America and Central America
    coral snake; harlequin-snake.
WordNet

night snake

  • noun nocturnal prowler of western United States and Mexico
    Hypsiglena torquata.
WordNet

old world coral snake

  • noun any of various venomous elapid snakes of Asia and Africa and Australia
    coral snake.
WordNet

Pilot snake

  • (Zoöl.) (a) A large North American snake (Coluber obsoleus). It is lustrous black, with white edges to some of the scales. Called also mountain black snake. (b) The pine snake.
Webster 1913

Pine snake

  • noun any of several bull snakes of eastern and southeastern United States found chiefly in pine woods; now threatened
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a large harmless North American snake (Pituophis melanoleucus). It is whitish, covered with brown blotches having black margins. Called also bull snake. The Western pine snake (P. Sayi) is chestnut-brown, mottled with black and orange.
Webster 1913

plumber's snake

  • noun a long flexible steel coil for dislodging stoppages in curved pipes
    auger.
WordNet

Polishing snake

  • a tool used in cleaning lithographic stones.
Webster 1913

Prairie snake

  • (Zoöl.), a large harmless American snake (Masticophis flavigularis). It is pale yellow, tinged with brown above.
Webster 1913

Rat snake

  • noun any of various nonvenomous rodent-eating snakes of North America and Asia
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a large colubrine snake (Ptyas mucosus) very common in India and Ceylon. It enters dwellings, and destroys rats, chickens, etc.
Webster 1913

red rat snake

  • noun large harmless snake of southeastern United States; often on farms
    Elaphe guttata; corn snake.
WordNet

red-bellied snake

  • noun harmless woodland snake of southeastern United States
    Storeria occipitamaculata.
WordNet

Ribbon snake

  • noun slender yellow-striped North American garter snake; prefers wet places
    Thamnophis sauritus.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a common North American snake (Eutainia saurita). It is conspicuously striped with bright yellow and dark brown.
Webster 1913

Ring snake

  • noun harmless European snake with a bright yellow collar; common in England
    grass snake; ring snake; Natrix natrix.
  • noun any of numerous small nonvenomous North American snakes with a yellow or orange ring around the neck
    ring-necked snake; ring snake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a small harmless American snake (Diadophis punctatus) having a white ring around the neck. The back is ash-colored, or sage green, the belly of an orange red.
Webster 1913

ring-necked snake

  • noun any of numerous small nonvenomous North American snakes with a yellow or orange ring around the neck
    ring-necked snake; ring snake.
WordNet

Ringed snake

  • noun harmless European snake with a bright yellow collar; common in England
    grass snake; ring snake; Natrix natrix.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), a harmless European snake (Tropidonotus natrix) common in England.
  • (Zoöl.), a common European columbrine snake (Tropidonotus natrix).
Webster 1913

ringneck snake

  • noun any of numerous small nonvenomous North American snakes with a yellow or orange ring around the neck
    ring-necked snake; ring snake.
WordNet

Rock snake

  • noun very large python of tropical and southern Africa
    Python sebae; rock python.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), any one of several large pythons; as, the royal rock snake (Python regia) of Africa, and the rock snake of India (P. molurus). The Australian rock snakes mostly belong to the allied genus Morelia.
Webster 1913

rough green snake

  • noun of southern and eastern United States
    Opheodrys aestivus.
WordNet

Sand snake

  • noun small North American burrowing snake
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of harmless burrowing snakes of the genus Eryx, native of Southern Europe, Africa, and Asia, especially E. Jaculus of India and E. Johnii, used by snake charmers. (b) Any innocuous South African snake of the genus Psammophis, especially P. sibilans.
Webster 1913

sea snake

  • noun any of numerous venomous aquatic viviparous snakes having a fin-like tail; of warm littoral seas; feed on fish which they immobilize with quick-acting venom
WordNet
Sea" snake`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of many species of venomous aquatic snakes of the family Hydrophidæ, having a flattened tail and living entirely in the sea, especially in the warmer parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They feed upon fishes, and are mostly of moderate size, but some species become eight or ten feet long and four inches broad.
Webster 1913

smooth green snake

  • noun of western and central United States
    Opheodrys vernalis.
WordNet

snake charmer

  • noun a performer who uses movements and music to control snakes
WordNet

snake dance

  • noun a group advancing in a single-file serpentine path
  • noun a ceremonial dance (as by the Hopi) in which snakes are handled or invoked
WordNet

snake doctor

  • noun slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.
    dragonfly; snake doctor; sewing needle; mosquito hawk; skeeter hawk; devil's darning needle; darning needle.
WordNet

Snake eater

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The markhoor . (b) The secretary bird.
Webster 1913

snake eyes

  • noun expressions used when when two dice are thrown and both come up showing one spot
    craps.
WordNet

snake feeder

  • noun slender-bodied non-stinging insect having iridescent wings that are outspread at rest; adults and nymphs feed on mosquitoes etc.
    dragonfly; snake doctor; sewing needle; mosquito hawk; skeeter hawk; devil's darning needle; darning needle.
WordNet

Snake fence

  • noun rail fence consisting of a zigzag of interlocking rails
    snake fence; worm fence; Virginia fence.
WordNet
  • a worm fence (which see). U.S.
Webster 1913

snake fern

  • noun tropical fern widespread in Old World; naturalized in Jamaica and Florida
    climbing maidenhair; climbing maidenhair fern; Lygodium microphyllum.
WordNet

Snake fly

  • (Zoöl.), any one of several species of neuropterous insects of the genus Rhaphidia; so called because of their large head and elongated neck and prothorax.
Webster 1913

snake god

  • noun a god of voodoo cults of African origin worshipped especially in West Indies
    zombie; zombi.
WordNet

Snake gourd

  • (Bot.), a cucurbitaceous plant (Trichosanthes anguina) having the fruit shorter and less snakelike than that of the serpent cucumber.
Webster 1913

snake in the grass

  • noun a deceitful or treacherous person
    snake.
WordNet

Snake killer

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The secretary bird . (b) The chaparral cock.
Webster 1913

snake mackerel

  • noun predatory tropical fishes with jutting jaws and strong teeth
    Gempylus serpens.
WordNet

Snake moss

  • (Bot.), the common club moss (Lycopodium clavatum). See Lycopodium.
Webster 1913

snake muishond

  • noun small slender burrowing muishond with white top of the head
    Poecilogale albinucha.
WordNet

Snake nut

  • (Bot.), the fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Ophiocaryon paradoxum) of Guiana, the embryo of which resembles a snake coiled up.
Webster 1913

snake oil

  • noun (medicine) any of various liquids sold as medicine (as by a travelling medicine show) but medically worthless
  • noun communication (written or spoken) intended to deceive
    humbug.
WordNet

snake palm

  • noun foul-smelling somewhat fleshy tropical plant of southeastern Asia cultivated for its edible corms or in the greenhouse for its large leaves and showy dark red spathe surrounding a large spadix
    umbrella arum; Amorphophallus rivieri; devil's tongue.
WordNet

snake pit

  • noun any place of pain and turmoil;
    the pits; hellhole; hell on earth; hell; inferno.
    • the hell of battle
    • the inferno of the engine room
    • when you're alone Christmas is the pits
  • noun pejorative terms for an insane asylum
    crazy house; cuckoo's nest; Bedlam; loony bin; booby hatch; madhouse; nuthouse; funny farm; sanatorium; nut house; funny house.
WordNet

snake plant

  • noun stemless plant having narrow rigid leaves often cultivated as a houseplant
    Sansevieria trifasciata; mother-in-law's tongue.
WordNet

snake polypody

  • noun epiphytic ferns with long rhizomes; tropical America
    Microgramma-piloselloides.
WordNet

snake river

  • noun a tributary of the Columbia River that rises in Wyoming and flows westward; discovered in 1805 by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
    Snake.
WordNet

snake venom

  • noun venom secreted by certain snakes
WordNet

snake wood

  • noun tropical American tree with large peltate leaves and hollow stems
    Cecropia peltata; imbauba; trumpetwood; trumpet tree; trumpet-wood.
WordNet

snake's head fritillary

  • noun Eurasian checkered lily with pendant flowers usually veined and checkered with purple or maroon on a pale ground and shaped like the bells carried by lepers in medieval times; widely grown as an ornamental
    guinea-hen flower; checkered daffodil; Fritillaria meleagris; leper lily.
WordNet

snake's-head

Snake's"-head` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) The Guinea-hen flower; -- so called in England because its spotted petals resemble the scales of a snake's head. Dr. Prior.
Webster 1913

snake's-tongue

Snake's-tongue` noun
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) Same as Adder's-tongue.
Webster 1913

snake-fish

  • noun tropical fishes with large mouths in lizard-like heads; found worldwide
    lizardfish; snakefish.
WordNet

snake-haired

  • adjective satellite (of monsters) having snakes for hair
WordNet

snake-head

  • noun showy perennial of marshlands of eastern and central North America having waxy lanceolate leaves and flower with lower part creamy white and upper parts pale pink to deep purple
    Chelone glabra; shellflower; turtlehead; shell-flower; snakehead.
WordNet

snake-rail fence

  • noun rail fence consisting of a zigzag of interlocking rails
    snake fence; worm fence; Virginia fence.
WordNet

snakes and ladders

  • noun a board game for children who use dice to move counters up ladders and down snakes
WordNet

sonoran lyre snake

  • noun of desert regions of southwestern North America
    Trimorphodon lambda.
WordNet

Spectacled snake

  • (Zoöl.), the cobra de capello.
Webster 1913

spitting snake

  • noun highly venomous snake of southern Africa able to spit venom up to seven feet
    ringhals; rinkhals; Hemachatus haemachatus.
WordNet

Striped snake

  • (Zoöl.), the garter snake.
Webster 1913

Thunder snake

  • noun small reddish wormlike snake of eastern United States
    thunder snake; Carphophis amoenus.
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) (a) The chicken, or milk, snake. (b) A small reddish ground snake (Carphophis, ∨ Celuta, amoena) native to the Eastern United States; called also worm snake.
Webster 1913

tiger snake

  • noun highly venomous brown-and-yellow snake of Australia and Tasmania
    Notechis scutatus.
WordNet

To snake one's toilet

  • to dress one's self; especially, to dress one's self carefully.
Webster 1913

tow-headed snake

  • noun boa of grasslands and woodlands of western North America; looks and feels like rubber with tail and head of similar shape
    rubber boa; Charina bottae.
WordNet

Tree snake

  • (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of snakes of the genus Dendrophis. They live chiefly among the branches of trees, and are not venomous.
  • (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of colubrine snakes which habitually live in trees, especially those of the genus Dendrophis and allied genera.
Webster 1913

Venomous snake

  • (Zoöl.), any serpent which has poison glands and fangs, whether dangerous to man or not. These serpents constitute two tribes, the viperine serpents, or Solenoglypha, and the cobralike serpents, or Proteroglypha. The former have perforated, erectile fangs situated in the front part of the upper jaw, and are without ordinary teeth behind the fangs; the latter have permanently erect and grooved fangs, with ordinary maxillary teeth behind them.
Webster 1913

vine snake

  • noun slender arboreal snake found from southern Arizona to Bolivia
WordNet

viperine grass snake

  • noun a small harmless grass snake
    Natrix maura.
WordNet

Viperine snake

  • . (Zoöl.) (a) Any venomous snake of the family Viperidæ. (b) A harmless snake resembling a viper in form or color, esp. Tropidonotus viperinus, a small European species which resembles the viper in color.
Webster 1913

Wart snake

  • (Zoöl.), any one of several species of East Indian colubrine snakes of the genus Acrochordus, having the body covered with wartlike tubercles or spinose scales, and lacking cephalic plates and ventral scutes.
Webster 1913

water snake

  • noun any of various mostly harmless snakes that live in or near water
WordNet
Wa"ter snake`
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) (a) A common North American colubrine snake (Tropidonotus sipedon) which lives chiefly in the water. (b) Any species of snakes of the family Homalopsidæ, all of which are aquatic in their habits.
Webster 1913

western blind snake

  • noun burrows among roots of shrubs and beneath rocks in desert and rocky hillside areas and beach sand of western United States
    Leptotyphlops humilis.
WordNet

western coral snake

  • noun ranges from Central America to southwestern United States
    Micruroides euryxanthus.
WordNet

western ribbon snake

  • noun yellow- or reddish-striped snake of temperate woodlands and grasslands to tropics
    Thamnophis proximus.
WordNet

Whip snake

  • noun any of several small fast-moving snakes with long whiplike tails
    whip snake; whipsnake.
WordNet
  • (Zoöl.), any one of various species of slender snakes. Specifically: (a) A bright green South American tree snake (Philodryas viridissimus) having a long and slender body. It is not venomous. Called also emerald whip snake. (b) The coachwhip snake.
Webster 1913

whip-snake

  • noun any of several small fast-moving snakes with long whiplike tails
    whip snake; whipsnake.
WordNet

Worm snake

  • noun wormlike burrowing snake of warm regions having vestigial eyes
    blind snake.
  • noun small reddish wormlike snake of eastern United States
    thunder snake; Carphophis amoenus.
WordNet
  • . (Zoöl.) See Thunder snake (b), under Thunder.
Webster 1913

Yellow snake

  • (Zoöl.), a West Indian boa (Chilobothrus inornatus) common in Jamaica. It becomes from eight to ten long. The body is yellowish or yellowish green, mixed with black, and anteriorly with black lines.
Webster 1913