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

Snow, rain, thunder, lighting and rattlesnakes were common sights in the remote mountains where the limited series was filmed. —Emily Blackwood, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Not a single one of the 11 rattlesnakes climbed the wall, video shows. —Mark Price, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2025

Today, its inhabitants are animals, including mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, peregrine falcons and western rattlesnakes. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024

Prairie rattlesnakes have evolved an easy solution to this problem. —Jason Bittel, New York Times, 17 Jan. 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

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