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
snaked; snaking
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
Synonyms
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
Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
Five cotton pads soaked with different scents awaited them there: The snake’s own scent, its own scent mixed with olive oil, pure olive oil, the scent of another snake and the scent of another snake mixed with olive oil.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Then one gave her pause: a stone slab featuring the Hindu god Vishnu reclining against a giant snake, which today is on display in Pasadena as part of the Asian art collection at the Norton Simon Museum.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The Timber Rattlesnake is the other venomous snake found in the area.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024
There’s a lot of direct-to-video schlock like Medusa, a movie about a lady with snakes in her hair.
—PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
Give the snake plenty of room to retreat. Do not approach or agitate the snake: Avoid attempts to handle or provoke the snake.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
The look was made even more rock-and-roll by a snake wrapped around the actress' neck.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Sheriff's deputies seized 18 dead frozen puppies Friday from a home in rural Oregon that investigators believe were used to feed the homeowner's pet snakes, authorities said.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The tiger snakes of Perth have heavy metals in their livers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
The mountain that towers above the city offers panoramic views of the peaks beyond, the city below, and the fjords snaking out to the open ocean.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The long line of protesters snakes down a paved trail through the woods.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The program allows travelers expedited processing through airport Customs and Immigration when returning to the US from an international flight and can sometimes help members bypass snaking lines.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2024
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
Noun
For infants, the soft fabric toy unfolds like a snake to provide tummy time support as your baby develops head and neck muscles.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
Five cotton pads soaked with different scents awaited them there: The snake’s own scent, its own scent mixed with olive oil, pure olive oil, the scent of another snake and the scent of another snake mixed with olive oil.
—Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Then one gave her pause: a stone slab featuring the Hindu god Vishnu reclining against a giant snake, which today is on display in Pasadena as part of the Asian art collection at the Norton Simon Museum.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 3 Apr. 2024
The Timber Rattlesnake is the other venomous snake found in the area.
—Natalie Wallington, Kansas City Star, 29 Mar. 2024
There’s a lot of direct-to-video schlock like Medusa, a movie about a lady with snakes in her hair.
—PCMAG, 26 Mar. 2024
Give the snake plenty of room to retreat. Do not approach or agitate the snake: Avoid attempts to handle or provoke the snake.
—The Arizona Republic, 23 Mar. 2024
The look was made even more rock-and-roll by a snake wrapped around the actress' neck.
—Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Sheriff's deputies seized 18 dead frozen puppies Friday from a home in rural Oregon that investigators believe were used to feed the homeowner's pet snakes, authorities said.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
Verb
In 2003, Piet Oudolf, whose subtly layered plantings of grasses and unusual shrubs give Manhattan’s High Line its shimmering magic, created a dark earth pathway that snakes through the property, with banks of thistles and echinacea Julia rising like steep heather moors on either side.
—Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
The tiger snakes of Perth have heavy metals in their livers.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024
The mountain that towers above the city offers panoramic views of the peaks beyond, the city below, and the fjords snaking out to the open ocean.
—David Nikel, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
The long line of protesters snakes down a paved trail through the woods.
—David Peisner, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2024
The program allows travelers expedited processing through airport Customs and Immigration when returning to the US from an international flight and can sometimes help members bypass snaking lines.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2024
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
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
Phrases Containing snake
Dictionary Entries Near snake
Cite this Entry
“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
snake
1 of 2 noun1
: 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
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
Nglish: Translation of snake for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of snake for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about snake
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