snake

1 a limbless reptile with a long body <snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade> Synonyms serpent, viper Related Words adder, anaconda, asp, black racer, blacksnake, blue racer, boa, bull snake, bushmaster, chicken snake, cobra, constrictor, copperhead, coral snake, cottonmouth moccasin, diamondback rattlesnake, fer-de-lance, garter snake, gopher snake, green snake, hognose snake, horned viper, indigo snake, king cobra, king snake, krait, mamba, milk snake, moccasin, pine snake, pit viper, puff adder, python, racer, rat snake, rattlesnake, sea serpent, sea snake, sidewinder, taipan, water moccasin, water snake, worm snake

2 a person whose behavior is offensive to others <why, that dirty, rotten snake!> Synonyms bastard, beast, bleeder [British], blighter [chiefly British], boor, bounder, bugger, buzzard, cad, chuff, churl, clown, creep, cretin, crud [slang], crumb [slang], cur, dirtbag [slang], dog, fink, heel, hound, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, rat fink, reptile, rotter, schmuck [slang], scum, scumbag [slang], scuzzball [slang], skunk, sleaze, sleazebag [slang], sleazeball [slang], slime, slimeball [slang], slob, jerk, so-and-so, sod [chiefly British], stinkard, stinker, swine, toad, varmint, verminRelated Words barbarian, brute, caveman, Neanderthal, savage; loudmouth, vulgarian; lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch; booby, doofus [slang], fool, jackass, nincompoop, ninny, nit [chiefly British], nitwit, nut, schmo (or schmoe) [slang]; airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dink [slang], dolt, dope, dork [slang], goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey; brat, insolent, nuisance, pest, snip; snob, snoot, snot; dweeb [slang], nerdNear Antonyms hero, heroine, idol, role model; gentleman, lady; angel, saint

3 one who betrays a trust or an allegiance <what a snake she was—having an affair with my husband while I was in the hospital!> Synonyms apostate, backstabber, betrayer, double-crosser, double-dealer, Judas, quisling, recreant, serpent, traitor, turncoatRelated Words accommodationist, collaborationist, collaborator, sellout, subversive, subverter; coconspirator, conspirator, intriguer, plotter, schemer; defector, deserter, renegade; blabbermouth, gossip, gossiper, gossipmonger, informant, informer, rat, rumormonger, snitch, snitcher, squealer, stool pigeon, talebearer, talker, tattler, tattletale, telltale