Blind snake, Garter snake, Green snake, King snake, Milk snake, Rock snake, Water snake, etc. See under Blind, Garter, etc. -- Fetich snake (Zoöl.), a large African snake (Python Sebæ) used by the natives as a fetich. -- Ringed snake (Zoöl.), a common European columbrine snake (Tropidonotus natrix). -- Snake eater. (Zoöl.) (a) The markhoor. (b) The secretary bird. -- Snake fence, a worm fence (which see). [U.S.] -- 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. -- Snake gourd (Bot.), a cucurbitaceous plant (Trichosanthes anguina) having the fruit shorter and less snakelike than that of the serpent cucumber. -- Snake killer. (Zoöl.) (a) The secretary bird. (b) The chaparral cock. -- Snake moss (Bot.), the common club moss (Lycopodium clavatum). See Lycopodium. -- Snake nut (Bot.), the fruit of a sapindaceous tree (Ophiocaryon paradoxum) of Guiana, the embryo of which resembles a snake coiled up. -- Tree snake (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of colubrine snakes which habitually live in trees, especially those of the genus Dendrophis and allied genera.

snake, v. t.

To drag or draw, as a snake from a hole; -- often with out. Bartlett. [1913 Webster]
To wind round spirally, as a large rope with a smaller, or with cord, the small rope lying in the spaces between the strands of the large one; to worm. [1913 Webster]

snake, v. i.

To crawl like a snake. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

snake, n. & v.
--n.
1 a any long limbless reptile of the suborder Ophidia, including boas, pythons, and poisonous forms such as cobras and vipers. b a limbless lizard or amphibian.
2 (also snake in the grass) a treacherous person or secret enemy.
3 (prec. by the) a system of interconnected exchange rates for the EEC currencies.
--v.intr. move or twist like a snake.

Idiom

snake bird a fish-eating bird, Anhinga anhinga, with a long slender neck. snake-charmer a person appearing to make snakes move by music etc. snake-pit
1 a pit containing snakes.
2 a scene of vicious behaviour. snakes and ladders a game with counters moved along a board with advances up 'ladders' or returns down 'snakes' depicted on the board. snake's head a bulbous plant, Fritillaria meleagris, with bell-shaped pendent flowers.

Derivative

snakelike adj.

Etymology

OE snaca

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THESAURUS

snake

Benedict Arnold, Brutus, Judas, Judas Iscariot, Quisling, adder, anaconda, animal, archtraitor, asp, beast, bend, betrayer, blacksnake, blind snake, boa, boa constrictor, bull snake, bushmaster, cobra, cobra de capello, cockatrice, conniver, conspirator, conspirer, constrictor, contort, copperhead, coral snake, corkscrew, cottonmouth, crawl, creep, crinkle, crook, cur, curve, daboia, diamondback, divagate, dog, double agent, double-crosser, double-dealer, drag, draggle, draw, drift, err, excurse, fer-de-lance, fink, flick, flip, flirt, flounce, garter snake, glide, go adrift, go astray, go on tiptoe, gopher snake, grovel, gumshoe, hale, hamadryad, haul, heave, hitch, hog-nose snake, hook, horned rattlesnake, horned viper, hound, hyena, inch, inch along, informer, insect, intort, intrigant, intriguer, jerk, jig, jigger, jigget, jiggle, jog, joggle, king cobra, king snake, krait, lift, loop, lug, lurk, machinator, mamba, meander, milk snake, moccasin, mongrel, nab, nail, nick, nightwalk, nip, ophidian, pad, pererrate, pig, pinch, pine snake, pit viper, plotter, pluck, polecat, prick, prowl, puff adder, pull, pussyfoot, python, quisling, racer, ramble, rat, rat snake, rattler, rattlesnake, reptile, rove, scallop, schemer, scrabble, scramble, screw, scum, sea snake, serpent, serpentine, shirk, shit, shithead, shovel-nose, sidewinder, sidle, skulk, skunk, slidder, slide, slink, slip, slither, snatch, sneak, snitch, spectacled cobra, steal, steal along, straggle, stray, swine, swipe, swirl, take in tow, thunder snake, timeserver, tippytoe, tiptoe, toad, tow, trail, train, traitor, trawl, treasonist, trimmer, troll, tug, turd, turn, turncoat, tweak, twine, twirl, twist, twist and turn, twitch, undulate, urutu, varmint, vermin, viper, wander, water moccasin, water snake, whelp, whirl, whorl, wind, worm, worm along, worm snake, wrench, wring, yank, yerk, zigzag

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ROGET THESAURUS

snake

Evil doer

N evil doer, evil worker, wrongdoer, mischief-maker, marplot, oppressor, tyrant, destroyer, Vandal, iconoclast, firebrand, incendiary, fire bug, pyromaniac, anarchist, communist, terrorist, savage, brute, ruffian, barbarian, semibarbarian, caitiff, desperado, Apache, hoodlum, hood, plug-ugly, Red Skin, tough, Mohawk, Mo-hock, Mo-hawk, bludgeon man, bully, rough, hooligan, larrikin, dangerous classes, ugly customer, thief, cockatrice, scorpion, hornet, snake, viper, adder, snake in the grass, serpent, cobra, asp, rattlesnake, anaconda, canker-worm, wire-worm, locust, Colorado beetle, alacran, alligator, caymon, crocodile, mosquito, mugger, octopus, torpedo, bane, cutthroat, cannibal, anthropophagus, anthropophagist, bloodsucker, vampire, ogre, ghoul, gorilla, vulture, gyrfalcon, gerfalcon, wild beast, tiger, hyena, butcher, hangman, blood-hound, hell- hound, sleuth-hound, catamount, cougar, jaguar, puma, hag, hellhag, beldam, Jezebel, monster, fiend, devil incarnate, demon in human shape, Frankenstein's monster, harpy, siren, Furies, Eumenides, Hun, Attila, scourge of the human race, faenum habet in cornu.

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.

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