snake charmer

American  

noun

1. an entertainer who seems to charm venomous snakes, usually by music.

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snake charmer British  

noun

1. an entertainer, esp in Asia, who charms or appears to charm snakes by playing music and by rhythmic body movements

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Etymology

Origin of snake charmer

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

In the booth, Suga Free could make street anthems out of beats that sounded made for a polyrhythmic Marrakech snake charmer.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2023

Zoe Ziegfeld, a 35-year-old resident of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, is still working as a nanny but lost all of her performance work, including her occasional gig as a snake charmer with The Metropolitan Opera.

From New York Times • Mar. 25, 2021

Gold’s industry peers liken the way she does her job to the practice of an alchemist, a snake charmer, a card sharp, as if she were performing some kind of shadowy magic.

From The Guardian • Apr. 26, 2018

“I suspect that he sensed the weakness of my character. He was like a snake charmer, preying on my flaws and manipulating me to serve or advance his interests.”

From Washington Post • May 26, 2016

And the whole time I was chasing things, I was thinking that Otis must be some kind of snake charmer, the way he could play his guitar and make all the animals turn to stone.

From "Because of Winn-Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo