rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈra-tᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: any of several American pit vipers (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) that have horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when shaken

Illustration of rattlesnake

Examples of rattlesnake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If there was a six-foot gopher snake roaming the property, why not a rattlesnake, too? —T. Coraghessan Boyle, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2025

Animal control officers say the rattlesnake was secured in a glass enclosure, but the two cobras had been inside plastic totes, which were knocked over, spilling them onto the floor, Beckman said. —Mitchell Willetts, Kansas City Star, 10 Sep. 2025

Heat waves are increasing in temperature, frequency and duration, pushing native species like rattlesnakes to their biological limit. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

However, gopher snakes tend to be a bit bigger than rattlesnakes — typically measuring up to 8 feet in length. —Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing rattlesnake

• diamondback rattlesnake
• rattlesnake master
• rattlesnake plantain
• rattlesnake root
• rattlesnake weed
• timber rattlesnake

Rhymes for rattlesnake

• overtake
• shiitake
• undertake
• wapentake
• ache
• ake
• bake
• brake
• break
• cake
• craik
• crake

Kids Definition

rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈrat-ᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: any of various poisonous American snakes with a rattle at the end of the tail

Medical Definition

rattlesnake

noun

rat·​tle·​snake ˈrat-ᵊl-ˌsnāk 

: any of the American pit vipers that have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when vibrated and that comprise the genera Sistrurus and Crotalus see diamondback rattlesnake, tiger rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake