snake
snayk
Snake (noun) means a long, legless reptile that moves by slithering, some species of which are venomous. Example: “The zookeeper explained that the snake sheds its skin several times a year.”
noun
1
A long, legless reptile that moves by slithering, some species of which are venomous.
"The zookeeper explained that the snake sheds its skin several times a year."
"We saw a small snake sunning itself on a warm rock."
"A snake slid silently through the grass."
2
Informally, a deceitful or untrustworthy person.
"Don't trust him with your secrets, because he's a snake who tells everyone."
"She felt like a snake for blaming her friend."
"He turned out to be a total snake, lying to everyone about the deal."
3
A video game in which you steer a line that grows longer each time it eats, and lose by running into a wall, another player or your own body; also called a snake game.
"I used to play Snake on my dad's old mobile phone for hours."
"Modern snake games let you steer freely instead of turning on a grid."
"In Snake, the hardest part is avoiding your own tail once you grow long."
verb
1
To move or wind in a curving, twisting path.
"The queue snaked all the way around the corner of the building."
"A narrow stream snakes through the fields behind our house."
"The road snaked through the mountains for miles."
2
To clear a blocked pipe using a long, flexible plumbing tool.
"He bought a special tool to snake the bathroom sink himself."
"After the water stopped draining, we had to snake the pipe under the kitchen sink."
"The plumber had to snake the drain to clear the clog."
How to use snake
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe reptile, or figuratively, someone sneaky and disloyal; also used as a verb for winding paths or unclogging pipes.
Common pairings
snake through
a snake in the grass
snake a drain
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- snakes
- Past tense
- snaked
Fill the gap
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The zookeeper explained that the _____ sheds its skin several times a year.
Etymology
From Old English snaca, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to creep" or "to slide."
Related words
Rhymes for snake
See all rhymes for snake →Frequently asked questions
What does “snake” mean?
The word “snake” means a long, legless reptile that moves by slithering, some species of which are venomous. In plain terms, the reptile, or figuratively, someone sneaky and disloyal; also used as a verb for winding paths or unclogging pipes.
How do you pronounce “snake”?
“Snake” is pronounced snayk (/sneɪk/ in IPA).
How do you use “snake” in a sentence?
Here is “snake” used in a sentence: “A snake slid silently through the grass.”
What part of speech is “snake”?
Depending on how it is used, “snake” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “snake” come from?
The word “snake” comes from Old English. From Old English snaca, from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to creep" or "to slide.".
Is “snake” a common word?
“Snake” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “snake” have?
“Snake” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a long, legless reptile that moves by slithering, some species of which are venomous.
What is the difference between a snake and a serpent?
Both refer to the same kind of long, legless reptile. 'Snake' is the ordinary everyday word, while 'serpent' is more formal, literary, or symbolic, often used in myth and religious texts.
Why is a deceitful person called a snake?
The informal sense draws on the snake's reputation for striking unexpectedly. Calling someone 'a snake' means they are treacherous or untrustworthy, especially someone who betrays a friend, sometimes phrased as 'a snake in the grass.'
What is the difference between a snake and a worm?
A snake is a reptile with a backbone and scales, and some species are venomous. A worm is a soft-bodied invertebrate with no backbone; despite both being long and legless, they are biologically very different.
What is the difference between a snake and a lizard?
Snakes are legless reptiles that move by slithering. Most lizards have legs, which snakes lack, even though both belong to the reptile family.
What is the snake game?
Snake is a video game in which you steer a line that grows longer each time it eats, and the game ends if you crash into a wall or your own tail. The idea began with the 1976 arcade game Blockade, and it became famous when Nokia put Snake on its mobile phones in the late 1990s. Newer multiplayer versions, such as slither.io, move the game into a shared online arena with dozens of players.
What is a multiplayer snake game?
It is an online version of Snake in which many players share one arena at the same time. Instead of turning on a grid, you steer freely, grow by eating, and are knocked out when your head touches another player's body — which is why cutting in front of other snakes matters more than being the biggest.
Example sentences
Sentences with a source are quoted from published work. Any opinions in them are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
We snaked the bathroom sink ourselves and saved the cost of a call-out.
A carpet python was found coiled behind a washing machine, and a snake catcher was called to remove it.
The queue for the new ride snaked back past the gift shop and around the car park.
Snake on the old Nokia phones taught a generation to dread hitting their own tail.
He was friendly to your face, but everyone in the office knew he was a snake.
A snake io game puts dozens of players in one shared arena at once — you grow by eating, and you're out the moment your head touches another player's snake.
From
Snake IO Game
