cottonmouth

American  

[kot-n-mouth] / ˈkɒt nˌmaʊθ /

noun

plural

cottonmouths

1. a venomous snake, Agkistrodon (Ancistrodon ) piscivorus, of swamps in southeastern U.S., that grows to about 4 feet (1.2 meters).

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cottonmouth British  

/ ˈkɒtənˌmaʊθ /

noun

1. another name for the water moccasin

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Etymology

Origin of cottonmouth

1825–35, cotton + mouth, so called from the whiteness of its lips and mouth

Example Sentences

Fortune said he’d seen plenty of cottonmouth snakes and rattlesnakes in Texas, and he’d once come across a 5-foot bullsnake.

From Washington Post • Jan. 3, 2023

Of these snakes, two were venomous—one copperhead and one cottonmouth.

From Scientific American • Sep. 18, 2022

He spends a lot of time helping panicked newcomers, who tend to think every snake they come across is a cottonmouth that they need to kill.

From Scientific American • Sep. 18, 2022

This federally owned land, essentially a scrubby marsh with partially waterlogged woodland, home to bears and cottonmouth snakes, spans around 250,000 acres.

From The Guardian • Mar. 7, 2019

The cottonmouth was no longer sunning on the steps, but Curly didn’t take any chances.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen