snake

snake

I

snake¹ /sneɪk/ noun [countable]
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

snake² 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.