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Glite Dictionary
hoop snake

hoop snake

9.9
A snake from old stories that holds its tail in its mouth and rolls like a hoop
  • noun
  • /huːp sneɪk/
  • Archaic
translation icon : serpiente anillada
  • I saw a hoop snake in a children's storybook.

Examples

  • Some early settlers believed they saw a hoop snake chasing its own tail down a hill.

  • Despite tales of the hoop snake, scientists have found no evidence that such a creature exists.

  • The legend of the hoop snake has been passed down for generations in rural America.

  • Some people believe in the existence of hoop snakes.

  • The legend says that the hoop snake can roll along the ground like a wheel.

  • According to folklore, a hoop snake catches its tail in its mouth and rolls through the forest.

  • Many stories describe a hoop snake as a creature that travels in circles by grasping its own tail.

Surface Forms

hoop snake singular
hoop snakes plural

Morphology

hoop + snake

The compound 'hoop snake' is a straightforward noun–noun composition where 'hoop' modifies 'snake', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a snake that forms or resembles a hoop. While the folkloric detail of grasping its tail and rolling is specific, the core idea (a hoop-shaped or hoop-associated snake) is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Hoop snake comes from a folk story about a snake that grabs its own tail and rolls down a hill like a hoop. So the name describes a 'mythical' creature said to move by rolling, which is why it refers to a legendary, not real, snake.