massasauga

[ mas-uh-saw-guh ]
/ ˌmæs əˈsɔ gə /

noun

a small rattlesnake, Sistrurus catenatus, ranging from the Great Lakes to the Mexican border.

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Origin of massasauga

First recorded in 1830–40; irregular after Missisauga River, Ontario, Canada

Words nearby massasauga

massage, massage parlor, massage parlour, massapequa, massapequa park, massasauga, massasoit, massaua, massawa, masscult, massed practice
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for massasauga

  • The massasauga is the rattlesnake occasionally found in the swamps from western New York to Nebraska, but it is rare.

    On the Trail|Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard

  • One found at another locality had apparently hibernated in company with a massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus).

    Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor|Henry S. Fitch

  • The Massasauga is one of the smaller rattlesnakes, averaging about two feet in length.

    Pathfinder|Alan Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for massasauga

massasauga
/ (ˌmæsəˈsɔːɡə) /

noun

a North American venomous snake, Sistrurus catenatus, that has a horny rattle at the end of the tail: family Crotalidae (pit vipers)

Word Origin for massasauga

C19: named after the Missisauga River, Ontario, Canada, where it was first found
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