noun / verb
snake
SNAYK/sneɪk/
A long limbless reptile.
A snake slithers across bare ground, its body forming broad curves.
Etymology
Old English snaca already meant a snake; its deeper etymology connects the animal with crawling. The underlying image emphasizes how the reptile moves along the ground.
In context
slithering like a snake in front of my pastors
More examples
- The snake sheds its skin as it grows.
- Many snakes swallow their prey whole.
- The narrow trail snakes down the hillside.
Forms
snake · snakes · snaked · snaking
snakelike adjective — Resembling a snake in appearance or movement.
Similar words
- serpent
- Names the same animal, usually in literary or formal language.