snake

1 of 2

noun

ˈsnāk 

1

: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs

2

: a worthless or treacherous fellow

3

: something (such as a plumber's snake) resembling a snake

snakelike

ˈsnāk-ˌlīk 

adjective

snake

2 of 2

verb

snaked; snaking

transitive verb

1

: to wind (one's way, one's body in crawling, etc.) in the manner of a snake

2

: to move (something, such as logs) by dragging

intransitive verb

: to crawl, move, or extend silently, secretly, or sinuously

Synonyms of snake

Noun

• serpent
• viper

Verb

• lurk
• sneak
• mouse
• slip
• slide
• steal

Examples of snake in a Sentence

Noun

I thought she was my friend, but she turned out to be a snake in the grass.

snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade

Verb

The road snakes through the mountains.

Cables snaked across the floor.

Technicians snaked cables through the set.

He snaked his way through the crowd.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Cellphone camera footage broadcast by CBS Los Angeles shows the snake on a beach at night and someone trying to use what appears to be the base of a palm frond to pick it up and toss it back into the water. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Jackie Aguilar came upon the snake while walking on the beach in Crystal Cove with her family last Friday night. — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

This city is already a freaky liminal space full of snaking pathways that are almost incomprehensible. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026

And the talk drew far and away the longest lines of the festival, snaking around four city blocks an hour before showtime. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English snaca; akin to Old Norse snakr snake, Old High German snahhan to crawl

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1653, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing snake

• black rat snake
• black snake
• brown tree snake
• bull snake
• chicken snake
• coral snake
• corn snake
• eastern rat snake
• garter snake
• glass snake
• gopher snake
• gray rat snake
• green snake
• hognose snake
• indigo snake
• king snake
• milk snake
• pine snake
• plumber's snake
• rat snake
• red rat snake
• scarlet king snake
• sea snake
• snake charmer
• snake dance
• snake doctor
• snake fence
• snake in the grass
• snake oil
• snake pit
• snake plant
• snake worm
• water snake
• western rat snake
• worm snake

Rhymes for snake

• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake
• fake
• flake
• hake
• jake

Kids Definition

snake

1 of 2 noun

ˈsnāk 

1

: any of numerous limbless reptiles that have a long body and salivary glands often capable of producing venom which is injected through fangs

2

: a mean or treacherous person

snakelike

ˈsnā-ˌklīk 

adjective

snake

2 of 2 verb

snaked; snaking

: to crawl, wind, or move like a snake

Medical Definition

snake

noun

ˈsnāk 

: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs

Geographical Definition

Snake

geographical name

ˈsnāk 

river 1038 miles (1670 kilometers) long in the northwestern U.S. flowing from northwestern Wyoming across southern Idaho and into the Columbia River in Washington