snake
noun
\ ˈsnāk
\
\
Definition of snake
(Entry 1 of 3)
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
snake
verb
snaked;
snaking
Definition of snake (Entry 2 of 3)
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
: to crawl, move, or extend silently, secretly, or sinuously
Snake
geographical name
\ ˈsnāk
\
\
Definition of Snake (Entry 3 of 3)
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
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Other Words from snake
Noun
snakelike
\ ˈsnāk-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms for snake
Synonyms: Noun
Synonyms: Verb
lurk, mooch, mouse, pussyfoot, shirk, skulk, slide, slink, slip, sneak, steal
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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 shadeVerb
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
Firefighters searched for the satiated snake but never found it. — Lauren Ritchie, orlandosentinel.com, "Hurricane Dorian: St. Johns reaches 'moderate’ flood stage at Astor, resources deployed to low-lying area," 4 Sep. 2019 Steinbarth said the snake escaped by knocking the lid off its cage. — Lauren M. Johnson, CNN, "A snake escaped in a Wisconsin high school and no one can find it," 4 Sep. 2019 In March, the snakes started to morph into butterflies, the vampire color palette into Easter pastels. — Abby Aguirre, Vogue, "Taylor Swift on Sexism, Scrutiny, and Standing Up for Herself," 8 Aug. 2019 Tana Mongeau is carving her place into MTV Video Music Awards hisssstory with a very special red carpet accessory: a live snake. — Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE.com, "MTV VMAs 2019: Tana Mongeau Channels Britney Spears with a Snake on the Red Carpet," 26 Aug. 2019 Corruption is widespread in modern Nigeria, and brazen: when asked why $100,000 disappeared from state coffers last year, one employee of a government education authority claimed a snake had eaten it. — Sean Williams, Harper's magazine, "The Black Axe," 19 Aug. 2019 Yes, that's a snake—a large one—photobombing Mills' obligatory Summer's Over snapshot, eyes locked on the Auburn 7th grader. — Jeremy Henderson, al, "Auburn snake stars in scary back-to-school photobomb," 11 Aug. 2019 In the music video for the (conspicuously) bubblegum song, a hissing pastel-pink snake explodes into a kaleidoscope of butterflies. — Abby Aguirre, Vogue, "Taylor Swift on Sexism, Scrutiny, and Standing Up for Herself," 8 Aug. 2019 Harahan resident Ronald Lee Puckett posted on Facebook that the snake was first seen slithering around by a neighbor mowing his lawn. — Peter Dawson, Houston Chronicle, "Five-foot long Texas rattlesnake hitches truck ride to Louisiana, according to authorities," 22 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Dicker’s onside kick somehow snaked through LSU’s special teams and Texas senior Collin Johnson lunged for it near the sideline. — Nick Moyle, ExpressNews.com, "No. 9 Texas falls to No. 6 LSU in instant classic," 7 Sep. 2019 Dozens waited in a snaking line, their own blank shirts in hand, to select one of two designs both bearing the phrase, #PermianBasinStrong. — Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, "Odessa and neighboring Midland vow to heal in face of a day filled with 'the best and worst of humanity'," 1 Sep. 2019 The office looked like a DMV, with linoleum floors and snaking lines of people clutching forms in their sweaty hands. — Summer Block, Longreads, "Better Late," 23 Aug. 2019 The wine is made from grapes grown down the hill from us at a vineyard sloping toward the ultramarine Limmat River, which snakes through Zurich. — Adam H. Graham, Condé Nast Traveler, "Plan a Trip to Zurich This Summer (Yes, Really)," 2 May 2018 Salling is among three Republicans who have registered to run for the 2nd District, which snakes through the Baltimore region, encompassing parts of the city as well as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford and Howard counties. — Pamela Wood, baltimoresun.com, "Baltimore County senator denies, deletes tweet calling Rep. Ilhan Omar ‘illegal’," 26 Aug. 2019 These include spots along the Russian River, which snakes through the redwoods in the Sonoma Mountains, and areas on the Trinity River, which tumbles over the rocks of the formidable Klamath Mountains. — New York Times, "The Magic of Swimming Holes," 18 Aug. 2019 On opening morning, a line slowly snaked past Cookie Monster and Big Bird carved out of butter. — J.f. | Des Moines, The Economist, "Nearly two dozen presidential candidates descend on Iowa," 9 Aug. 2019 But along the renowned Kenai River, which snakes for 82 miles from Kenai Lake to Upper Cook Inlet, a significant chunk of the economy is built up around fishing. — Anchorage Daily News, "‘Pretty devastating’: After years of poor king salmon runs, renowned Kenai River sport fishing community adjusts," 7 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'snake.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for snake
snake
noun
English Language Learners Definition of snake
(Entry 1 of 2)
: an animal that has a long, thin body and no arms or legs
chiefly US, informal
: a bad person who tells lies and betrays other people
: a long thin tool that is used to clear out blocked pipes
snake
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of snake (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move like a snake : to follow a twisting path with many turns