rattlesnake

American  

[rat-l-sneyk] / ˈræt lˌsneɪk /

noun

1. any of several New World pit vipers of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus, having a rattle composed of a series of horny, interlocking elements at the end of the tail.

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rattlesnake British  

/ ˈrætəlˌsneɪk /

noun

1. any of the venomous New World snakes constituting the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus , such as C. horridus ( black or timber rattlesnake ): family Crotalidae (pit vipers). They have a series of loose horny segments on the tail that are vibrated to produce a buzzing or whirring sound

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Etymology

Origin of rattlesnake

An Americanism dating back to 1620–30; rattle ¹ + snake

Compare meaning

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

• roadrunner vs. rattlesnake

Explanation

A rattlesnake is a long, venomous reptile with a tail that shakes, making a sound like a maraca, before it bites. When you're camping in the Arizona desert, you'll want to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes get their name from the rattle at the end of their tails that's composed of rattling pieces of keratin, the same kind of protein found in your fingernails. In order to scare off predators, rattlesnakes noisily vibrate their tails, warning that they're ready to strike. While these snakes cause most snake bites in the U.S., they only attack if they're feeling threatened, and rattlesnake bites aren't deadly if they're treated right away.

Example Sentences

The midtempo “Ridin’ High” starts with a descending harp glissando that pours into a synthesizer seasoned by a vibraslap’s rattlesnake hiss.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

“Year-to-year comparison, we are definitely seeing more rattlesnake bites this year than we have in previous years,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

In Ventura County, Dowd said that rattlesnake bites account for 1% of emergency response calls the department receives.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

On average, the agency receives between 290 and 390 reports of rattlesnake bites annually.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

“Luck,” James Vincent groaned to himself, to nobody, not in his wildest dreams realizing how prophetic his statement would turn out to be: “I got the kind of luck even a rattlesnake wouldn’t strike at.”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols