copperhead

noun

cop·​per·​head ˈkä-pər-ˌhed 

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

• copperhead 1

Examples of copperhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Signage along the trail informs users of the wildlife that make the sanctuary their home, like the ebony jewelwing damselfly, Osage copperhead snake and even bobcats. — Nick Wagner, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026

Fourteen states named a snake species as their most dangerous animal, from rattlesnakes in the West to copperheads and cottonmouths across the South. — Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

Fall is on the horizon and tThe weather is beginning to cool down in North Carolina, which means newborn copperheads are about to make their debut. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for copperhead

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• gingerbread
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead
• loggerhead

Kids Definition

copperhead

noun

cop·​per·​head ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed 

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 

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 (Austrelaps superbus)