copperhead

noun

cop·​per·​head ˈkä-pər-ˌhed How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
plural copperheads
1
: a common pit viper (Agkistrodon contortrix) of the eastern and central U.S. usually having a copper-colored head and often a reddish-brown hourglass pattern on the body
2
disapproving : a person in the northern states who sympathized with the South during the American Civil War

Illustration of copperhead

Illustration of copperhead
  • copperhead 1

Examples of copperhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The copperhead that bit Ginger is a venomous snake that emits hemotoxic venom into its victims, according to Live Science. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2023 The beagle had been bitten by a copperhead snake, and Prigmore decided to take her to a vet to get the bite checked out. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 3 Oct. 2023 Dogs that receive copperhead bites should always be taken to a veterinarian for evaluation. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2023 Of the 46 species of snakes known in Georgia, only six are venomous: copperhead, cottonmouth, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber/canebrake rattlesnake, pigmy rattlesnake and Eastern coral snake. Nancy Clanton, ajc, 20 Apr. 2023 Last week, park rangers in Dinosaur Valley State Park near Fort Worth found a copperhead, one of 105 different species of snake found in Texas and one of 15 potentially dangerous to humans, near the Main Track Site. Shepard Price, San Antonio Express-News, 2 May 2023 Adults tend to be larger than their copperhead cousins. Cole Sikes Communications and Marketing Specialist Alabama Cooperative Extension System, al, 25 Apr. 2023 Zander and his sister were playing basketball in their driveway when a loose ball disturbed a copperhead hidden near the family’s garage, according to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Avery Newmark, ajc, 19 Nov. 2021 While the northern copperhead is not listed as an endangered species, the killing of the snake is strongly discouraged by DEEP. Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 26 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'copperhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of copperhead was in 1775

Dictionary Entries Near copperhead

Cite this Entry

“Copperhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copperhead. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

copperhead

noun
cop·​per·​head ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
1
: a common largely coppery brown poisonous snake of the pit viper family that occurs in the eastern and central U.S.
2
: a person in the northern states who sympathized with the South during the American Civil War

Medical Definition

copperhead

noun
cop·​per·​head ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
1
: a pit viper (Agkistrodon contortrix) widely distributed in upland areas of the eastern and central United States that typically attains a length of three feet (0.9 meter), is coppery brown above with dark transverse blotches, and is capable of inflicting a very painful but rarely fatal bite
2
: a very venomous but sluggish Australian elapid snake of the genus Denisonia (D. superba)

More from Merriam-Webster on copperhead

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!