snake doctor

American  

noun

1. South Midland and Southern U.S. a dragonfly.

2. a hellgrammite.

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Regionalisms

See dragonfly.

Etymology

Origin of snake doctor

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

What child is there that is not familiar with the insect commonly known as the dragon-fly, snake doctor or snake feeder?

From An Elementary Study of Insects by Haseman, Leonard

The old dress was the full skirt of fifty years ago, with huge red roses on a white-and-green dotted background, and, as aprons, would have made the snake doctor look like a very young circus.

From Phyllis by Johnson, Percy D.