copperhead

noun

cop·per·head | \ ˈkä-pər-ˌhed

Definition of copperhead

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 : a person in the northern states who sympathized with the South during the American Civil War

Examples of copperhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Late last summer in Woodbridge, Virginia, a woman wandered into her yard and found an eastern copperhead slithering through her flower bed. — Laura Mallonee, WIRED, "The Life and Viral Fame of Virginia's Two-Headed Snake," 13 June 2019 The state is home to eastern coral snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and several different species of rattlesnakes. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "'Famous' North Carolina 'Zombie' Snake Species Likes to Play Dead Before Striking Repeatedly," 11 June 2019 And 1,300 kids get bitten every year, about half by rattlers, with copperhead bites on the rise. — Rachel Levin, Sunset, "What to Do If You See a Rattlesnake in the Wild," 22 Jan. 2018 King snakes will eat copperheads and lots of other prey. — Shelia Poole, ajc, "7 most common myths about snakes," 5 June 2018 Lewis rushed Winnie to a nearby animal hospital, which confirmed his suspicion and treated the canine for a copperhead bite. — Madeline Farber, Fox News, "North Carolina man chops copperhead snake into 'a dozen pieces' after it bites family dog," 25 Sep. 2018 That organization then brought in the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF), which worked with the Wildlife Center to examine the serpent — a rare two-headed baby copperhead. — Araceli Cruz, Teen Vogue, "A Rare Two-Headed Baby Copperhead Snake Was Discovered in Virginia," 24 Sep. 2018 Of those six, there are only two that are considered abundant to common - the cottonmouth and copperhead. — Myah Ward, charlotteobserver, "Copperhead bites 9-year-old pit bull in Matthews," 5 July 2018 Warming weather means the start of the snake-bite season in the South Carolina Lowcountry and elsewhere, with residents warned to be on particular alert for copperheads.. — Joe Marusak, charlotteobserver, "Bear roams Duck, as Outer Banks town warns people to keep pets and children inside | Charlotte Observer," 24 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'copperhead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

19 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for copperhead

The first known use of copperhead was in 1775

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More Definitions for copperhead

copperhead

noun

English Language Learners Definition of copperhead

: a poisonous reddish-brown snake of the eastern and central U.S.

See the full definition for copperhead in the English Language Learners Dictionary

copperhead

noun

cop·per·head | \ ˈkä-pər-ˌhed

Kids Definition of copperhead

: a poisonous snake of the eastern and central United States with a reddish brown head

copperhead

noun

cop·per·head | \ ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed

Medical Definition of copperhead

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 of the genus Denisonia (D. superba)