rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈra-tᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: 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

Illustration of rattlesnake

Examples of rattlesnake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Elordi’s character Nate was killed off in the penultimate episode when he was buried alive and then bit by a rattlesnake. — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026

The frightening encounter comes weeks after a hiker was airlifted from a remote Ventura County trail following a rattlesnake bite. — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2026

Elordi was joined in the coffin by a boa constrictor, which, in the show, was turned into a deadly rattlesnake. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 21 July 2026

Not even a month before that, the Ventura County Star, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported that a 46-year-old woman died March 19 from a rattlesnake bite. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rattlesnake

• diamondback rattlesnake
• rattlesnake master
• rattlesnake plantain
• rattlesnake root
• rattlesnake weed
• timber rattlesnake

Rhymes for rattlesnake

• overtake
• shiitake
• undertake
• wapentake
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake

Kids Definition

rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈrat-ᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: any of various poisonous American snakes with a rattle at the end of the tail

Medical Definition

rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈrat-ᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: 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