noun
garter
A striped North American snake generally harmless to people.
A garter slides through the grass beside the garden path.
Etymology
The snake’s longitudinal stripes suggested the patterned bands worn as garters. That visual comparison supplied the common name for these slender snakes.
More examples
- Garters often hunt for worms in damp soil.
- We spot a small garter snake near the pond.
- The garter hides under a rock when we approach.
Forms
garter · garters
Similar words
- garter snake
- The usual full name for this striped North American snake.
- snake
- A broader term that includes many species without stripes.