milk adder
- noun
- US
:
serpiente de leche
- Many southeastern milk adders have an arrow-shaped spot on their heads, distinguishing them from similar species.
Examples
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The milk adder is often mistaken for the venomous coral snake due to its red stripes.
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The milk adder is a nonvenomous snake that displays beautiful tan and brown patterns with striking red stripes.
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Although the milk adder is harmless, its striking colors serve as a warning to potential predators.
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The milk adder is often mistaken for the coral snake.
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I spotted a milk adder in my backyard last summer.
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Many naturalists observe the milk adder for its unique arrow-shaped spot on the back of its head.
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In the southeastern United States, the milk adder can often be seen sunbathing on rocks during warm days.
Synonyms
1
6.9
A North American snake that is not venomous and squeezes its prey, often eating other snakes
A harmless tan and brown snake with an arrow-shaped spot on its head and sometimes red stripes
A snake from North and Central America that is not venomous and has bright bands like coral snakes
A harmless North American snake with red, black, and white bands that looks like a coral snake
Surface Forms
Morphology
milk + adder
The element 'adder' clearly signals a type of snake, so a learner who knows the constituents would likely infer the MWE refers to a snake. However, the specific sense — a nonvenomous kingsnake with particular coloration and an arrow-shaped head spot — is not derivable from 'milk' + 'adder', and 'milk' does not transparently convey those diagnostic features, making the expression only partially predictable.
Etymology
Milk adder comes from old farm stories: people saw snakes in cow barns and thought they drank milk, and the word adder was an old word for 'snake'. So the name simply meant a harmless farm snake, which fits today because the milk adder is a harmless snake often found near farms and sometimes mistaken for the coral snake by its red and brown bands.