snake

1 of 2

noun

1
: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs
2
: a worthless or treacherous fellow
3
: something (such as a plumber's snake) resembling a snake
snakelike adjective

snake

2 of 2

verb

snaked; snaking

transitive verb

1
: to wind (one's way, one's body in crawling, etc.) in the manner of a snake
2
: to move (something, such as logs) by dragging

intransitive verb

: to crawl, move, or extend silently, secretly, or sinuously

Examples of snake in a Sentence

Noun I thought she was my friend, but she turned out to be a snake in the grass. snakes are cold-blooded, so they regulate their body temperature by alternately basking in sunlight and seeking shade Verb The road snakes through the mountains. Cables snaked across the floor. Technicians snaked cables through the set. He snaked his way through the crowd.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For every snake that can be peaceably placed in a bag and taken far away, there are many more that vanish before a snake catcher can even arrive. Natasha Frost David Maurice Smith, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The entire concert is a spectacle — all black and red, smoke and snakes. Janey Tracey, EW.com, 14 Mar. 2024 Kering stopped using animal fur, starting with Gucci, in 2017, but did not join Chanel when the luxury brand opted to to end its use of exotic skins from lizards, snakes and crocodiles. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 The original track, of course, was Swift's response to a variety of controversies, accusations, and snake emojis that had been thrown her way in the first half of her career. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 7 Mar. 2024 Either way, Anderson had the snake in a protective bucket within seconds. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Their predators — birds, spiders and snakes, to name a few — eat them, but when so many cicadas hatch at once, their predators can’t possibly eat them all. Keely Brewer, The Daily Memphian, and Brittney J. Miller, Cedar Rapids Gazette, Journal Sentinel, 20 Feb. 2024 The researchers think that the complete statue once depicted the god in a standing position, either draped in a short cloak or nude and holding a staff known as a caduceus with two snakes spiraling around it. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 The reptiles are considered the heaviest snakes in the world. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024
Verb
There's nothing worse than arriving at the airport to an endless string of passengers snaking through the terminal, as officers go through the essential but tedious task of ensuring that each flier’s boarding pass, government ID, and face all match up. Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Mar. 2024 The line formed long before 10 a.m., when the first fish was set to be served, snaking from the harbor to the promenade through the ancient archway. Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2024 The case snaked its way through the judicial process over the next couple of years, and the dominoes quickly fell after two straw buyers – Walder St. Louis and Jocelyn Dor – pleaded guilty last fall. Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 5 Mar. 2024 Waiting in a line that snaked through the parking lot, listening to a background music soundtrack that mixed country and hip-hop, many supporters of the former president told USA TODAY part of the attraction is Trump's unprecedented legal troubles. David Jackson, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 In just the last month, however, their Portuguese Bend home has started shifting under stress from intensifying land movement: Cracks have snaked up their walls, cupboards can no longer close, doorways have split at the seams and brick pavers are separating. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 The system is easy to set up and doesn’t need cables snaking everywhere. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Between 2018 and 2022, the company built three via ferratas near Zion National Park, including Shorty Town, which snakes up and down across a cliff suspended over the flowing water of Oak Creek. Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024 The rising waters snaked upstream, inundating the main river and dozens of its side canyons. Cassidy Randall, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'snake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English snaca; akin to Old Norse snakr snake, Old High German snahhan to crawl

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1653, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of snake was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near snake

Cite this Entry

“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

snake

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of numerous limbless reptiles that have a long body and salivary glands often capable of producing venom which is injected through fangs
2
: a mean or treacherous person
snakelike adjective

snake

2 of 2 verb
snaked; snaking
: to crawl, wind, or move like a snake

Medical Definition

snake

noun
: any of numerous limbless scaled reptiles (suborder Serpentes synonym Ophidia) with a long tapering body and with salivary glands often modified to produce venom which is injected through grooved or tubular fangs

Geographical Definition

Snake

geographical name

river 1038 miles (1670 kilometers) long in the northwestern U.S. flowing from northwestern Wyoming across southern Idaho and into the Columbia River in Washington

More from Merriam-Webster on snake

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