Definition of rattlesnake Rattlesnake

/ɹæˈtʌlsnejˌk/ - [ratulsneyk] - rat•tle•snake

We found 6 definitions of rattlesnake from 6 different sources.

What does rattlesnake mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: rattlesnakes
rattlesnake - pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken
		rattler
		pit viper New World vipers with hollow fangs and a heat-sensitive pit on each side of the head
		crotalidae, family crotalidae New World vipers: pit vipers
		rattle loosely connected horny sections at the end of a rattlesnake's tail
		crotalus adamanteus, diamondback, diamondback rattlesnake large deadly rattlesnake with diamond-shaped markings
		banded rattlesnake, crotalus horridus horridus, timber rattlesnake widely distributed in rugged ground of eastern United States
		crotalus viridis, prairie rattler, prairie rattlesnake, western rattlesnake widely distributed between the Mississippi and the Rockies
		crotalus cerastes, horned rattlesnake, sidewinder small pale-colored desert rattlesnake of southwestern United States; body moves in an s-shaped curve
		crotalus atrox, western diamondback, western diamondback rattlesnake largest and most dangerous North American snake; of southwestern United States and Mexico
		crotalus lepidus, rock rattlesnake mountain rock dweller of Mexico and most southern parts of United States southwest
		crotalus tigris, tiger rattlesnake having irregularly cross-banded back; of arid foothills and canyons of southern Arizona and Mexico
		crotalus scutulatus, mojave rattlesnake extremely dangerous; most common in areas of scattered scrubby growth; from Mojave Desert to western Texas and into Mexico
		crotalus mitchellii, speckled rattlesnake markings vary but usually harmonize with background; of southwestern Arizona and Baja California
		massasauga rattler, sistrurus catenatus, massasauga pygmy rattlesnake found in moist areas from the Great Lakes to Mexico; feeds on mice and small amphibians

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Wiktionary

rattlesnake (Noun)
Any of various poisonous American snakes, of genera Crotalus and Sistrurus, having a rattle at the end of its tail.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

rattlesnake (n.)
Any one of several species of venomous American snakes belonging to the genera Crotalus and Caudisona, or Sistrurus. They have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when shaken. The common rattlesnake of the Northern United States (Crotalus horridus), and the diamond rattlesnake of the South (C. adamanteus), are the best known. See Illust. of Fang.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

rattlesnake
Poisonous snake of the genus Crotalus, known by the rattling tail.

Wikipedia

The rattlesnake is a kind of snake, a reptile. About 50 kinds of rattlesnakes are known. They are a kind of pit viper. Men of science call the two big groups of rattlesnakes (each called a genus) either "Crotalus" or "Sistrurus". All of them have a poison bite, but some kinds are a much greater danger than others.

The name "rattlesnake" is used because they have a special tail with several parts on the end that can make a loud "bzzzz" sound, or rattle.

Rattlesnakes live in North and South America, especially, but not always, in dry areas.