cerastes

[suh-ras-teez]

noun

plural

cerastes 

1. any of several small vipers of the genus Cerastes, including the horned viper, that have a sideways looping motion like that of a sidewinder and inhabit deserts of northern Africa and southwestern Asia.

cerastes

/ səˈræstiːz /

noun

1. any venomous snake of the genus Cerastes, esp the horned viper

Word History and Origins

Origin of cerastes¹

1768; < New Latin < Greek kerástēs literally, something horned, equivalent to kerat- stem of kéras horn + -tēs noun suffix; earlier in sense “asp,” Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of cerastes¹

C16: from Latin: horned serpent, from Greek kerastēs horned, from keras horn

Example Sentences

The rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes is venomous to humans.

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Furthermore, it was only sidewinding rattlesnakes - a species called Crotalus cerastes - that used this strategy.

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The researchers observed the venomous sidewinder rattlesnake species Crotalus cerastes, a denizen of the southwestern United States, as it moved in a large enclosure at Zoo Atlanta filled with sand from the Arizona desert.

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In Egypt, on the other hand, the cobra, the asp, and the cerastes are as numerous as ever, and are much dreaded by all the natives, except the professional snake charmers.

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Some think one hieroglyph is a cerastes, but Dr. Birch says the group probably consisted of a harpoon and three vertical lines—a common sign of plurality.

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