rat snake

noun

plural rat snakes

: any of various large, nonvenomous, colubrid snakes (as of the genera Elaphe, Pantherophis, and Coelognathus) that feed chiefly on rodents (such as mice and rats) and birds

called also chicken snake

see black rat snake, eastern rat snake, red rat snake, western rat snake

Examples of rat snake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though rat snakes pose no direct threat to humans, their presence inside a home is still enough to send a chill down any resident's spine. —Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

In December, a Texas woman was bitten by a non-venomous rat snake shortly after sitting on the toilet during a nighttime visit to her bathroom. —Kelli Bender, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025

Only last year, one Texas woman found a rattlesnake lurking in her toilet, and another also found a rat snake poking out from the U-bend. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

Explore her life at the center and learn how rat snakes survive in the wild. —Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 25 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rat snake

• awake
• backache
• beefsteak
• betake
• cheesecake
• cupcake
• daybreak
• earthquake
• eastlake
• forsake
• handshake
• headache

Kids Definition

rat snake

noun

: any of various large nonpoisonous snakes that eat rodents and birds and that kill their prey by squeezing and suffocating it