snake

[sneyk]

noun

1. any of numerous limbless, scaly, elongate reptiles of the suborder Serpentes, comprising venomous and nonvenomous species inhabiting tropical and temperate areas.

2. a treacherous person; an insidious enemy.

3. Building Trades.

   1. Also called auger, plumber's snake. (in plumbing) a device for dislodging obstructions in curved pipes, having a head fed into the pipe at the end of a flexible metal band.

   2. Also called wirepuller. a length of resilient steel wire, for threading through an electrical conduit so that wire can be pulled through after it.

verb (used without object)

snaked, snaking 

1. to move, twist, or wind.

   The road snakes among the mountains.

verb (used with object)

snaked, snaking 

1. to wind or make (one's course, way, etc.) in the manner of a snake.

   to snake one's way through a crowd.

2. to drag or haul, especially by a chain or rope, as a log.

snake

/ sneɪk /

noun

1. any reptile of the suborder Ophidia (or Serpentes ), typically having a scaly cylindrical limbless body, fused eyelids, and a jaw modified for swallowing large prey: includes venomous forms such as cobras and rattlesnakes, large nonvenomous constrictors (boas and pythons), and small harmless types such as the grass snake

2. Also called: snake in the grass. a deceitful or treacherous person

3. anything resembling a snake in appearance or action

4. (in the European Union) a former system of managing a group of currencies by allowing the exchange rate of each of them only to fluctuate within narrow limits

5. a tool in the form of a long flexible wire for unblocking drains

verb

1. (intr) to glide or move like a snake

2. (tr) to haul (a heavy object, esp a log) by fastening a rope around one end of it

3. (tr) (often foll by out) to pull jerkily

4. (tr) to move in or follow (a sinuous course)

Other Word Forms

• snakelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of snake¹

before 1000; Middle English (noun); Old English snaca; cognate with Middle Low German snake, Old Norse snākr

Word History and Origins

Origin of snake¹

Old English snaca; related to Old Norse snākr snake, Old High German snahhan to crawl, Norwegian snōk snail

Example Sentences

Queues snaked around street corners and card payments failed, forcing people to queue for cash and cram on to buses as other transport systems were not running.

From BBC

This snake is classified as a stray and is not currently available for adoption.

From Los Angeles Times

The police told the BBC in July that they had a tough time convincing the mother that it was dangerous to stay in the isolated location with snakes and wild animals in the forest.

From BBC

"Our voice, the voice that's always fought for them is getting drowned out by the carnival of charlatans and the circus of snake oil salesmen."

From BBC

The bikini-clad pose in front of a waterfall, while a snaking line of tourists await their turn on slippery rocks.

From BBC

Related Words

• serpent 
• vermin 

When To Use

What else does snake mean?

Snake can be slang for a person who acts in a deceitful, underhanded, or backstabbing way.