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
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
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Sharks are not the only species known to undergo parthenogenesis; the phenomenon has also been recorded in species of bird, fish, lizard and snake.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Hanna Arhirova and Yehor Konovalov, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Broadley’s African house snakes live in a variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, from elevations of about 2,400 to 9,800 feet, the study said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snake 
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Noun
Marvin’s snake of a drug lord brother, Knuckles (Daniel Wu), has a score to settle: His outfit’s legal eagle, Rose (Ariana DeBose), has stolen from him, though the money belongs to Russian overlords who make an 11th-hour appearance.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025
Read more Animals Dinosaurs: Groundbreaking Revelation Settles 30-Year-Old Debate
Specialized Dog Breeds Are Not So Special After All
Sharks are not the only species known to undergo parthenogenesis; the phenomenon has also been recorded in species of bird, fish, lizard and snake.
—Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025
Verb
Long-range attacks have been a feature of the nearly three-year war, where on the front line snaking about 600 miles from northeast to southern Ukraine, the armies have been engaged in a war of attrition.
—Hanna Arhirova and Yehor Konovalov, Los Angeles Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Broadley’s African house snakes live in a variety of habitats, including woodlands and grasslands, from elevations of about 2,400 to 9,800 feet, the study said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 13 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for snake
Dictionary Entries Near snake
Cite this Entry
“Snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snake. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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