water moccasin

American  

noun

1. the cottonmouth.

2. any of various similar but harmless snakes, as a water snake of the genus Nerodia.

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water moccasin British  

noun

1. Also called: cottonmouth.  a large dark grey venomous snake, Agkistrodon piscivorus, of swamps in the southern US: family Crotalidae (pit vipers)

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Etymology

Origin of water moccasin

An Americanism dating back to 1815–25

Compare meaning

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

• water moccasin vs. water snake

Example Sentences

A water moccasin may glide silently past, and a few times we’ve seen iridescent alligator eyes peering out at us before they sank back down into the depths.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2023

“He was kind of a grumpy snake, and everybody was going, ‘Omigod, omigod, it's a water moccasin, kill it!’” she recollects.

From Scientific American • Sep. 18, 2022

Apart from having the moral imagination of a water moccasin, in other words, Rupert Murdoch's just a terrific guy.

From Salon • Jul. 14, 2011

Just this week Billy, a funny, gonzo fellow in Louisiana whose last name is Bretherton, dealt with someone’s water moccasin infestation.

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2010

Bending over, croaking like a bullfrog that had been caught by a water moccasin, he started going around in a circle.

From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls