copperhead

noun

cop·​per·​head ˈkä-pər-ˌhed How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
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

Illustration of copperhead
  • copperhead 1

Examples of copperhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
About 150,000 dogs in the United States are bitten by venomous snakes every year, including rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins, according to the WSU article. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 Greyson Hardy’s adventure also left him lost in wilderness that is home to alligators, copperheads and bear. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 4 June 2025 Back in September, a Virginia man came face-to-face with a copperhead while doing laundry nearby his bedroom in Chester, Va. Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025 Some of the most venomous snakes found in Texas are copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for copperhead

Word History

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of copperhead was in 1775

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Cite this Entry

“Copperhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copperhead. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

copperhead

noun
cop·​per·​head ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
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 How to pronounce copperhead (audio)
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)

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