hoop snake

hoop snake
noun
any of various harmless North American snakes that were formerly believed to take tail in mouth and roll along like a hoop (Freq. 2)
• Hypernyms: ↑colubrid snake, ↑colubrid

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noun
1. chiefly South and Midland : a fabled snake of extremely venomous character that rolls itself up with its tail in its mouth to proceed at great speed in the manner of a hoop and destroys both animal and plant life with a sting in the end of its tail
2. : either of two harmless brightly colored burrowing colubrid snakes chiefly of the southeastern U.S.:
a. : a large snake (Farancia abacura) that is blue black above and largely red below and has a sharp nonvenomous spine at the end of its tail — called also horn snake

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any of several harmless snakes, as the mud snake and rainbow snake, fabled to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop.
[1775-85, Amer.]

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hoop snake,
a harmless North American snake, formerly thought to roll like a hoop with its tail in its mouth.

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hoop snake — Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hoop-snake — hoopˈ snake noun Any of several harmless snakes, once erroneously believed to be capable of forming themselves into a hoop and rolling over the ground • • • Main Entry: ↑hoop …   Useful english dictionary

  • hoop snake — ☆ hoop snake n. any of several American snakes alleged in folklore to take the tail in the mouth and roll along like a hoop …   English World dictionary

  • Hoop snake — The hoop snake is a legendary creature of the United States and Australia. The hoop snake is referred to in the Pecos Bill stories and although it is his description of hoop snakes that most people are familiar with, stories of the creature… …   Wikipedia

  • hoop snake — any of several harmless snakes, as the mud snake and rainbow snake, fabled to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop. [1775 85, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • hoop snake — /ˈhup sneɪk/ (say hoohp snayk) noun Colloquial (humorous) an imaginary snake thought of as being aggressive and venomous, which is supposedly able to chase people by holding its tail in its mouth and rolling along swiftly like a hoop. See drop… …  

  • hoop snake — noun A mythical creature of the United States and Australia, a snake that grasps its tail in its jaws and thereby rolls after its prey like a wheel …   Wiktionary

  • Hoop — Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything resembling… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hoop iron — Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hoop lock — Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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