: any of several American pit vipers (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) that have horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when shaken
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If you're bitten by a rattlesnake, experts say to keep the wound below the heart and call 911 immediately.—Katie Nadworny, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2025 The pygmy rattlesnake is usually found very near water and occasionally in rocky uplands, pine woods and glades.—Gabrielle Chenault, Nashville Tennessean, 13 June 2025 Screenshots from a June 19 TikTok video of a dog sitting at the vet with a swollen face after being bit by a rattlesnake.—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 The dogs are all trained not to pull on the leash, to stay in formation and to steer clear of rattlesnakes by sight, sound or scent.—Steve Lopez, Mercury News, 24 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rattlesnake
: any of the American pit vipers that have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when vibrated and that comprise the genera Sistrurus and Crotalus see diamondback rattlesnake, tiger rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake
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