— snakelike , adj.
/snayk/ , n. , v. , snaked, snaking .
n.
1. any of numerous limbless, scaly, elongate reptiles of the suborder Serpentes, comprising venomous and nonvenomous species inhabiting tropical and temperate areas.
2. a treacherous person; an insidious enemy. Cf. snake in the grass .
3. Building Trades.
a. Also called auger, plumber's snake . (in plumbing) a device for dislodging obstructions in curved pipes, having a head fed into the pipe at the end of a flexible metal band.
b. Also called wirepuller . a length of resilient steel wire, for threading through an electrical conduit so that wire can be pulled through after it.
v.i.
4. to move, twist, or wind: The road snakes among the mountains.
v.t.
5. to wind or make (one's course, way, etc.) in the manner of a snake: to snake one's way through a crowd.
6. to drag or haul, esp. by a chain or rope, as a log.
[ bef. 1000; ME (n.); OE snaca; c. MLG snake, ON snakr ]