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Glite Dictionary
bull snake

bull snake

6.9
A large North American snake that eats rodents, lives in burrows, and is not venomous
  • noun
  • /bʊl sneɪk/
  • US
translation icon : serpiente toro
  • The bull snake is often mistaken for a rattlesnake.

Examples

  • Although a bull snake can look intimidating, it is not venomous and is generally harmless to humans.

  • Farmers appreciate the presence of bull snakes in their fields because they eat rodents.

  • A bull snake slithered across the dusty path as we hiked through the grasslands.

  • Many bull snakes can be found in the Great Plains.

  • I encountered a large bull snake sunbathing on the warm rocks during my hike in the desert.

  • The bull snake slithered silently through the tall grass, searching for mice to eat.

  • While gardening, I spotted a bull snake coiled near the compost pile, blending in with the surroundings.

Synonyms

gopher snake
vsbull snake
  • US
1 7.0

A large North American snake that is not venomous and lives in burrows eating rodents

is a narrower subspecies of that species and more specific
bullsnake
vsbull snake
  • US
8.2

A large harmless North American snake that eats mice and rats and often lives in burrows

is the two word common form rather than the single word spelling
Pituophis melanoleucus
vsbull snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A large snake that is not poisonous and eats rodents

is the common English name used instead of the scientific term

Surface Forms

bull snake singular
bull snakes plural

Morphology

bull + snake

The meaning is compositionally derived: 'bull' functions as a modifier of 'snake', so a learner who knows 'bull' and 'snake' can infer this refers to a kind of snake (likely large or robust). This fits common English noun-compounding patterns (e.g. bullfrog) and is therefore readily recoverable by a B1 learner from the constituent meanings.

Etymology

Bull snake may come from what farmers saw: when the big snake puffs up and makes a deep, loud hiss, people thought of a bull, so they called it bull + snake. That's why the name refers to 'a large, harmless snake' often found near farms that helps by eating rats and mice.