house snake

7.5

A snake that is not poisonous, often tan or brown, that lives near houses and eats mice

noun

South African

: serpiente de casa

In parts of Africa, people welcome the presence of a house snake in their homes.

Examples

The farmer discovered a house snake in his shed and decided to let it stay to help with rodents.
Although the house snake looks intimidating, it is actually harmless and nonvenomous.
The house snake is often kept as a pet.
Many people find the house snake to be a friendly reptile.
The house snake slithered across the warm sand, blending in with its tan and brown markings.
Many homeowners in Africa keep a house snake to control the rodent population around their property.
While hiking, we spotted a house snake coiled around a branch, watching us curiously.

Synonyms

checkered adder

vshouse snake

9.9

A harmless tan and brown snake with an arrow-shaped spot on its head and sometimes red stripes

is mainly described as an African nonvenomous snake without that head spot

milk adder

vshouse snake

9.9

A harmless tan and brown snake often with red stripes and an arrow spot on its head

is chiefly African and not identified by that distinctive head mark

Surface Forms

house snake singular

house snakes plural

Morphology

house + snake

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where 'house' modifies 'snake', so a learner who knows both words will readily infer it refers to a kind of snake associated with houses (e.g., commonly found in or kept near homes). Detailed biological specifics (nonvenomous, African varieties) are not deducible from the constituents, but the core meaning is compositionally transparent and predictable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

House snake comes from the simple image of a snake living in or near a house, where it hunts mice and rats. Because these snakes stay close to people and are usually 'harmless', the name means a common, safe snake often found around homes.