snake

snake — noun

1. a long, thin reptile covered in scales that moves by sliding along the ground an

1.nounA2
Definition

a long, thin reptile covered in scales that moves by sliding along the ground and has no legs; some types can inject poison through a bite.

Example

Sora saw a green snake resting on a rock near the hiking trail.

position: resting on + location

The farmer warned the children to stay away from the tall grass where a snake might hide.

habitat: tall grass where snake hides

Common collocations
  • venomous snake
  • poisonous snake
  • snake bite
  • snake charmer
  • snake skin
  • a snake coils
  • a snake strikes
Synonyms
  • serpent

    more formal or literary term for a snake; common in myths, stories, and religious texts (B2)

  • viper

    refers specifically to a family of venomous snakes; also used figuratively for a treacherous person (C1)

Grammar Patterns

a/the + snake

snake + verb (bites, moves, hides)

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often appears in compound nouns such as 'snakebite', 'snakeskin', and 'snake charmer'. In casual conversation, learners may hear 'snake' described by colour, size, or whether it is venomous.

Common Mistakes

Snake is a dangerous animal.
Snakes are dangerous animals.
'snake' is a countable noun and needs an article or plural form in general statements.
I saw a snake crawled under the rock.
I saw a snake crawl under the rock.
after verbs of perception (saw, heard), use the base form of the verb, not the past tense.

2. someone who behaves in a friendly way towards you but secretly works against you

2.nounB2
Definition

someone who behaves in a friendly way towards you but secretly works against you or betrays your trust for their own gain.

Example

That man smiled at me all week but then spread lies about me — he is a complete snake.

informal: be a complete snake

Rohan warned Joaquín never to trust him, saying he was a snake who would betray anyone for money.

metaphor: a snake who would betray

Common collocations
  • a real snake
  • a complete snake
  • a cold-blooded snake
  • like a snake
Synonyms
  • traitor

    someone who betrays a country, group, or person; more formal and carries a stronger sense of disloyalty (B2)

  • backstabber

    someone who pretends to be your friend but harms you secretly; very informal and vivid (C1)

Antonyms
  • ally

    someone who supports and stands by you (B2)

Grammar Patterns

be + a snake

call someone a snake

Usage Note

Stronger than simply 'untrustworthy' — this sense implies active, deliberate betrayal. Often used after the person's dishonest actions have been discovered. Common in workplace and social contexts.

Common Mistakes

He is a snake to his friends.
He is a snake who betrays his friends.
the figurative sense works better with examples of the betrayal than with a preposition.

3. a long, thin, flexible metal tool that plumbers push into pipes to remove blocka

3.nounC1
Definition

a long, thin, flexible metal tool that plumbers push into pipes to remove blockages or clogs.

Example

The plumber pulled a long snake from his truck to unclog the kitchen drain.

tool used to unclog drains

When water would not go down the bathroom sink, Sade used a snake to break up the blockage.

Common collocations
  • plumber's snake
  • drain snake
  • use a snake
  • feed a snake
Synonyms
  • drain snake

    the same tool, emphasising its use for drains rather than pipes in general (C1)

  • plumber's auger

    a more technical term for the same device; less commonly used in everyday speech (C2)

Grammar Patterns

a + snake

use a snake

feed a snake into + pipe

Usage Note

Almost always used in the context of plumbing. Also called a 'drain snake' or 'plumber's snake'. Learners at lower levels can simply say 'plumber's tool' or 'drain cleaner' instead.

Idioms

Snake River

idiom

a major river in the northwestern United States that flows through Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington before joining the Columbia River.

The Snake River flows through Yellowstone National Park before turning west toward Idaho.

Farmers in southern Idaho depend on water from the Snake River to grow their crops.

a snake (in the grass)

idiom

A person who acts friendly but is secretly dishonest and cannot be trusted.

Maya thought he was her friend, but he was a snake.

Did you know that Diego is a snake in the grass?

snake — verb

Word family

  • snaky
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to the same type of reptile, but they differ in register and specificity. 'Snake' is the everyday, neutral term used in general conversation, science classes, and news reports — it is the only one an A2 learner needs. 'Serpent' appears in myths, religious texts, and formal literature ('the serpent in the garden of Eden'); it sounds old-fashioned or poetic in modern speech. 'Viper' names a specific biological family of venomous snakes with long hinged fangs, but in figurative language it works like 'snake' to mean a treacherous person ('a nest of vipers'). For describing the animal itself, stick with 'snake' in everyday English; use 'serpent' in a story or formal metaphor, and 'viper' when the type of venomous snake matters or when the figurative tone needs extra sharpness.

snakeserpentviper

Etymology

Proto-Indo-EuropeanProto-GermanicOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'snake' comes from Old English 'snaca', which belongs to a group of Germanic words for 'creeping thing' — related to Old Norse 'snákr' and German 'Schlange'. These words trace back to a Proto-Indo-European root '*sneg-', meaning 'to crawl'. The sense of a deceitful person emerged in the 1500s, drawing on the snake's reputation in the Bible (the serpent in the Garden of Eden). The modern verb meaning 'to move in a winding way' developed in the 1800s from the shape of the animal's movement.