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
snaked; snaking
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
: to crawl, move, or extend silently, secretly, or sinuously
Synonyms
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
Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
But at the end of the 39-second video, Howard saw something that signaled danger — the snake had rattles.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
The only known snake of comparable size was Titanoboa, currently the record-holder for the largest snake to have ever lived.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The snakes can, however, lose their rattles or simply decide not to use them.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Officials said traffic detours will begin today while crews work to create an overpass for mountain lions, coyotes, deer, snakes, and even ants.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Meet at the park’s nature center for an up-close look at one of Indiana’s native snakes.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Rare snake with two heads undergoes surgery to remove ovaries.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
For infants, the soft fabric toy unfolds like a snake to provide tummy time support as your baby develops head and neck muscles.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The tiger snakes of Perth have heavy metals in their livers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
The mountain that towers above the city offers panoramic views of the peaks beyond, the city below, and the fjords snaking out to the open ocean.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The long line of protesters snakes down a paved trail through the woods.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The program allows travelers expedited processing through airport Customs and Immigration when returning to the US from an international flight and can sometimes help members bypass snaking lines.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2024
There's nothing worse than arriving at the airport to an endless string of passengers snaking through the terminal, as officers go through the essential but tedious task of ensuring that each flier’s boarding pass, government ID, and face all match up.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024
The line formed long before 10 a.m., when the first fish was set to be served, snaking from the harbor to the promenade through the ancient archway.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2024
The case snaked its way through the judicial process over the next couple of years, and the dominoes quickly fell after two straw buyers – Walder St. Louis and Jocelyn Dor – pleaded guilty last fall.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024
Noun
Researchers in India have discovered a giant extinct snake, measuring up to 50 feet long and believed to be the largest madtsoiid snake ever recorded.
—Caitlin O'Kane, CBS News, 19 Apr. 2024
But at the end of the 39-second video, Howard saw something that signaled danger — the snake had rattles.
—Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
The only known snake of comparable size was Titanoboa, currently the record-holder for the largest snake to have ever lived.
—Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 18 Apr. 2024
The snakes can, however, lose their rattles or simply decide not to use them.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 16 Apr. 2024
Officials said traffic detours will begin today while crews work to create an overpass for mountain lions, coyotes, deer, snakes, and even ants.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Meet at the park’s nature center for an up-close look at one of Indiana’s native snakes.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Rare snake with two heads undergoes surgery to remove ovaries.
—USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
For infants, the soft fabric toy unfolds like a snake to provide tummy time support as your baby develops head and neck muscles.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
Verb
In 2003, Piet Oudolf, whose subtly layered plantings of grasses and unusual shrubs give Manhattan’s High Line its shimmering magic, created a dark earth pathway that snakes through the property, with banks of thistles and echinacea Julia rising like steep heather moors on either side.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The tiger snakes of Perth have heavy metals in their livers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
The mountain that towers above the city offers panoramic views of the peaks beyond, the city below, and the fjords snaking out to the open ocean.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The long line of protesters snakes down a paved trail through the woods.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The program allows travelers expedited processing through airport Customs and Immigration when returning to the US from an international flight and can sometimes help members bypass snaking lines.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2024
There's nothing worse than arriving at the airport to an endless string of passengers snaking through the terminal, as officers go through the essential but tedious task of ensuring that each flier’s boarding pass, government ID, and face all match up.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024
The line formed long before 10 a.m., when the first fish was set to be served, snaking from the harbor to the promenade through the ancient archway.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2024
The case snaked its way through the judicial process over the next couple of years, and the dominoes quickly fell after two straw buyers – Walder St. Louis and Jocelyn Dor – pleaded guilty last fall.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near snake
Cite this Entry
“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
snake
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
snake
2 of 2 verb
snaked; snaking
: to crawl, wind, or move like a snake
Medical Definition
snake
noun
: 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
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
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