corn snake

American

noun

a large, harmless rat snake, Elaphe guttata guttata, of the southeastern U.S., having yellow, tan, or gray scales with dark-red blotches: once common in cornfields but now an endangered species.

Etymology

Origin of corn snake

An Americanism dating back to 1670–80

Compare meaning

How does corn-snake compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

rat snake vs. corn snake

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.

She added he loved animals, particularly his corn snake and pygmy hedgehog.

From BBC

The three snuggled at night in the same bed with extra sleeping bags and worried about their three pets: their dog Lucky, their cat Sullie and their corn snake Storm.

From Seattle Times

Northern said the brightly-coloured but harmless corn snake was found on a Skipton to Leeds train.

From BBC

A corn snake has been rescued from a car after a delivery driver noticed it hanging out of the dashboard.

From BBC

Animal rescue officer Enola Evans searched the bedroom before finding the three-foot long reptile in the window frame, and identifying it as a harmless corn snake.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023