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- copperhead 1
copperhead
noun
cop·per·head
ˈkä-pər-ˌhed 
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
Examples of copperhead in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Larger predators—coyotes, bobcats, black bears, and copperhead snakes—would follow.
—
Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
Some of the most venomous snakes found in Texas are copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, between 7,000 to 8,000 people are bit by a venomous snake (including rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes) in the U.S. each year.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 May 2025
The new camera has the possibility of showcasing other types of snakes, like copperheads, as well as different animals like black bears.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 15 May 2025
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Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
Some of the most venomous snakes found in Texas are copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2025
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, between 7,000 to 8,000 people are bit by a venomous snake (including rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and coral snakes) in the U.S. each year.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 25 May 2025
The new camera has the possibility of showcasing other types of snakes, like copperheads, as well as different animals like black bears.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for copperhead
Cite this Entry
“Copperhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/copperhead. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
copperhead
noun
cop·per·head
ˈkäp-ər-ˌhed
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
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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