• Snake

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: snāk, IPA: /sneɪk/
    • Rhymes: -eɪk

    Origin

    From Middle English snāke, from Old English snaca ("snake, serpent, reptile"), from Proto-Germanic *snakô (compare dialectal German Schnake ("adder"), dialectal Low German Snaak ("snake"), Swedish snok ("grass snake")), derived from *snakaną ("to crawl") (compare Old High German snahhan), from Proto-Indo-European *snog-, *sneg- 'to crawl; a creeping thing' (compare Sanskrit नाग (nāga, "snake")).

    Full definition of snake

    Noun

    snake

    (plural snakes)
    1. A legless reptile of the sub-order Serpentes with a long, thin body and a fork-shaped tongue.
      • The man writhed like a trampled snake, and a red foam bubbled from his lips.
    2. A treacherous person.
      • Mrs. Kenwigs was horror-stricken to think that she should ever have nourished in her bosom such a snake, adder, viper, serpent, and base crocodile, as Henrietta Petowker.
    3. A tool for unclogging plumbing.
    4. A tool to aid cable pulling.
    5. (slang) A trouser snake; the penis.

    Synonyms

    Derived terms

    Terms derived from snake (noun)

    Verb

    1. (intransitive) To follow or move in a winding route.The path snaked through the forest.
      • 1996, September 24, Mark Addinall, Football fever..., Any Brisbane female interested in snaking down a few beers whilst watching the footy on a big screen?
    2. The river snakes through the valley.
    3. (transitive, Australia, slang) To steal slyly.He snaked my DVD!
      • 2001, April 5, Hyena, Home made supercharger ?, Although it wouldn't be the first time some one patented an idea that I'd had a year earlier....Someone already has :)...F*CK ME !!  Snaked again !
    4. (transitive) To clean using a plumbing snake.
    5. (US, informal) To drag or draw, as a snake from a hole; often with out.
    6. (nautical) To wind round spirally, as a large rope with a smaller, or with cord, the small rope lying in the spaces between the strands of the large one; to worm.

    Synonyms

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