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water snake

American  

noun

  1. any of numerous and widely distributed harmless snakes of the genus Natrix, inhabiting areas in or near fresh water.

  2. any of various other snakes living in or frequenting water.

  3. Astronomy. Water Snake, the constellation Hydrus.


water snake British  

noun

  1. any of various colubrid snakes that live in or near water, esp any of numerous harmless North American snakes of the genus Natrix, such as N. sipedon

"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

Etymology

Origin of water snake

First recorded in 1595–1605

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Bottles of water are available in stores, but many residents, impoverished by war, depend on bottled water donations from abroad, even as pools of water snake onto streets from leaking mains.

From Reuters Oct. 22, 2022

A water snake blocked the entrance to the home.

From Washington Post Aug. 31, 2021

The brown water snake eats catfish, according to Herpsofnc.org, and is “sometimes found with the spines of catfish sticking out its body walls,” the site said.

From Fox News Jun. 6, 2019

“The Essex Serpent,” published last year, revolved around the existence of a monstrous water snake off the coast of East Anglia.

From New York Times Oct. 26, 2018

Reeds grew thick in the shallows along the banks, and Arya saw a water snake skimming across the surface, ripples spreading out behind it as it went.

From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin

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