Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ground snake

ground snake

8.5
A small shy snake with bright rings that hides under rocks in dry western North America
  • noun
  • /ɡraʊnd sneɪk/
  • US
translation icon : serpiente terrestre
  • The ground snake is known for its striking color patterns and elusive nature.

Examples

  • While hiking in the desert, I spotted a ground snake slithering among the rocks.

  • As the warm sun set, a ground snake quickly disappeared into the underbrush.

  • I got a ground snake.

    Suburbicon (2017)

Synonyms

Sonora semiannulata
vsground snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A small harmless ground snake with bright rings from dry western North America

has the same meaning but is the common name rather than the scientific form

Surface Forms

ground snake singular
ground snakes plural

Morphology

ground + snake

The noun compound 'ground snake' is compositionally transparent: 'ground' modifies 'snake' to indicate a snake associated with the ground/terrestrial habitat. A B1 learner who knows 'ground' and 'snake' can readily infer this basic meaning (the additional descriptive details like size and colouring are extra lexical specification but do not reduce transparency).

Etymology

Ground snake gets its name from the clear picture of a ground and a snake: a snake that lives and hides 'on the ground' under rocks or leaves. That's why the name means a small, shy snake you find on the ground rather than in trees or water.