rattlesnake

[rat-l-sneyk]

noun

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.

Origin of rattlesnake

An Americanism dating back to 1620–30; rattle¹ + snake

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for rattlesnakes

Historical Examples of rattlesnakes

Next thing they'll be asking about mountain lions and rattlesnakes.
Her Father's Daughter
Gene Stratton-Porter
"It's a likely-looking place for rattlesnakes," Bob remarked.
The Fiery Totem
Argyll Saxby
Handling glanders was almost as dangerous as either the bullets or the rattlesnakes.
Policing the Plains
R.G. MacBeth
We knew that rattlesnakes abounded in this region as we had seen them on our way.
Old Rail Fence Corners
Various
If your back garden is infested with rattlesnakes you should keep pigs.
The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893
Various

British Dictionary definitions for rattlesnakes

rattlesnake

noun

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

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

Word Origin and History for rattlesnakes

rattlesnake

1620s, from rattle + snake (n.).