I. snake 1 /sneɪk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: snaca ]
1 . an animal with a long thin body and no legs, that often has a poisonous bite:
A snake slithered across our path.
a poisonous/venomous snake
2 . ( also snake in the grass ) informal someone who cannot be trusted
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a poisonous/venomous snake
He warned me there were poisonous snakes in the region.
▪ a deadly snake
It is the most deadly snake in India.
■ verbs
▪ a snake bites somebody
I might get bitten by a snake.
▪ a snake hisses (=makes a noise which sounds like 'ssss')
The snake hissed at him and opened its mouth.
▪ a snake slithers somewhere (=moves there)
Just feet from me, a green snake slithered silently across the path.
▪ a snake coils itself around something
The snake coiled itself around the branch.
II. snake 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition]
if a river, road, train, or line snakes somewhere, it moves in long twisting curves SYN wind
snake along/past/down etc
The road snaked along the valley far below.
The train was snaking its way through the mountains.