corn snake

American  

noun

1. 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.

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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

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 • Jan. 17, 2024

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

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

Without it, we risked a mad scramble to store most of our worldly possessions and score a year-long rental — one that allowed for three kids, three dogs, a bearded dragon and a corn snake.

From Washington Post • Jun. 2, 2022

He was and is a corn snake, 25 years old now, the longest-lived pet in the history of my family and my oldest friend — or tied with Colby, at least.

From New York Times • Dec. 28, 2020

When she first got Jake, an albino corn snake, he was no longer than a pencil, but I still refused to come over to her house.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy