blacksnake

or black snake

[ blak-sneyk ]

/ ˈblækˌsneɪk /

Save This Word!

noun

Also called black racer. a blackish racer, Coluber constrictor subspecies, of the eastern U.S., that grows to a length of 6 feet (1.8 meters).

any of various other snakes of a black or very dark color.

a heavy, tapering, flexible whip of braided cowhide or the like.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of blacksnake

An Americanism dating back to 1625–35; black + snake

Words nearby blacksnake

black site, black skimmer, blacksmith, blacksmithing, black smoker, blacksnake, black snakeroot, Blacksplain, black spot, black spruce, black squall

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use blacksnake in a sentence

Anyway, I am going to cure her of the sleeping sickness, even if I have to invest in a blacksnake whip.
The Red Cow and Her Friends|Peter McArthur
And the teamster pranced out and brandished his blacksnake whip menacingly.
Si Klegg, Book 2 (of 6)|John McElroy
With a couple of effortless bounds, the blackcat reached the trunk and slipped up it with the ease and speed of a blacksnake.
Wild Folk|Samuel Scoville
Born and reared in the rough timber-grown hills of Kentucky, he was as slim and active as a blacksnake.
Riddle of the Storm|Roy J. Snell

Let us be strong, and punish the venomous Blacksnake, as we punished the big soldier long ago.
Little Oskaloo|Thomas Chalmers Harbaugh

British Dictionary definitions for blacksnake

blacksnake

/ (ˈblækˌsneɪk) /

noun

any of several Old World black venomous elapid snakes, esp Pseudechis porphyriacus (Australian blacksnake)

any of various dark nonvenomous snakes, such as Coluber constrictor (black racer)

US and Canadian a long heavy pliant whip of braided leather or rawhide

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012