noun
moccasin
A venomous North American snake, especially a cottonmouth.
A moccasin rests on the muddy bank beside the creek.
Etymology
The snake-name was transferred from moccasin, the soft shoe. Explanations of the precise resemblance vary, so the naming connection is clearer than the exact feature that prompted it.
More examples
- We keep our distance from the water moccasin.
- Moccasins hunt fish and frogs in shallow water.
- The moccasin opens its mouth, revealing a white lining.
Forms
moccasin · moccasins
Similar words
- cottonmouth
- Specifically identifies the semiaquatic pit viper commonly called a moccasin.