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cerastes

American  
[suh-ras-teez] / səˈræs tiz /

noun

  • cerastes
    plural
  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 British  
/ səˈræstiːz /

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of cerastes

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


Vocabulary lists containing cerastes

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The rattlesnake Crotalus cerastes is venomous to humans.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2022

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.

From Cleopatra's Needle A History of the London Obelisk, with an Exposition of the Hieroglyphics by James King

The hieroglyphs following seem to be zigzag, line, semicircle, zigzag, hoe, mouth, mouth, cerastes, semicircle, two arms united, line, eye, zigzag, cerastes.

From Cleopatra's Needle A History of the London Obelisk, with an Exposition of the Hieroglyphics by James King

He is called the cerastes, and is venomous, I believe, though not one of the worst kinds of poisonous snakes.

From Hair-Breadth Escapes The Adventures of Three Boys in South Africa by H.C. Adams

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.

From Man and Nature or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action by George P. Marsh

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