sidewinder

noun

side·wind·er ˈsīd-ˌwīn-dər

: a heavy swinging blow from the side

: a small pale-colored desert rattlesnake (Crotalus cerastes) of the southwestern U.S. that moves by thrusting its body diagonally forward in a series of flat S-shaped curves

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The most often encountered are the Western diamondback, Western, Mojave, black-tailed and sidewinder, all of which have rattles on their tails that may vibrate when nervous. —

Ellie Willard, The Arizona Republic, 8 Mar. 2023 The pilot fired an AIM 9X sidewinder missile, the same weapon used in the previous instances. —

Marina Johnson, Detroit Free Press, 12 Feb. 2023 The Pentagon's top spokesman said in a subsequent statement that the object was taken down by an F-16 that fired a sidewinder missile at 2:42 p.m. ET. —

Luis Martinez, ABC News, 12 Feb. 2023 The pilot fired an AIM 9X sidewinder missile, the same weapon used in the previous instances. —

Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2023 A half or whole order of chicken is served with undulating sidewinder fries and three sauces: beef tallow aioli, hot honey and spicy ketchup. —

Emma Balter, Chron, 6 Dec. 2022 That roll is worth ordering, as are the sidewinder fries, like curly steak fries but better, crispy on the outside and super soft and fluffy within. —

oregonlive, 16 Jan. 2023 The message is different for inland dwellers, especially those who plan to go hiking in the backcountry, where Colorado Desert sidewinder snakes are common. —

Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2022 An elbow injury to senior Nick Bassi thrust Gomez into a bigger role and the sidewinder thrived. —

Akeem Glaspie, The Indianapolis Star, 19 June 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of sidewinder was in 1824

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sidewinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sidewinder. Accessed 21 Mar. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

sidewinder

noun

side·wind·er -ˌwīn-dər

: a small rattlesnake of the southwestern U.S. that moves by thrusting its body diagonally forward in a series of flat S-shaped loops

Medical Definition

sidewinder

noun

side·wind·er ˈsīd-ˌwīnd-ər

: a small pale-colored venomous rattlesnake of the genus Crotalus (C. cerastes) of the southwestern United States that moves by thrusting its body diagonally forward in a series of S-shaped curves

called also horned rattlesnake