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Glite Dictionary
🐦 A gamebird 🐍 A small snake 🦜 A pet parrot 🟢 A ringed animal
ringneck

ringneck

8.0
A small harmless snake with a pale ring around its neck
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪŋˌnɛk/
  • US
translation icon : culebra de collar
  • The ringneck is a small snake known for its distinctive pale ring around its neck.

Examples

  • Southern ringneck (D. p. punctatus) is found in the Coastal Plain and often has a broken neck ring and underside that is marked with a single row of black spots.

    Blog text (12)

  • Northern ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsi) inhabits the mountains and generally has a complete neck ring and unpatterned underside.

    Blog text (12)

  • You can often spot a ringneck snake in gardens due to its slender body and noticeable neck markings.

  • After identifying the ringneck, we learned it is generally harmless and helps control the garden pest population.

Synonyms

snake
vsringneck
103 5.4

A long thin tool used to clear clogs in pipes

is specifically the small usually harmless animal with a pale neck band
ringneck snake
vsringneck
  • US
7.2

A small snake that is not poisonous with a yellow or orange ring around its neck

is the common term for the specific species with a pale neck band
ring-necked snake
vsringneck
  • US
7.9

A small harmless snake with a yellow or orange ring around its neck

is used for the single species rather than the wider genus
Diadophis
vsringneck
  • Specialized
9.9

Small thin North American snakes with a colored ring around the neck

is the everyday name for one species rather than the whole genus
ring snake
vsringneck
  • UK
6.9

A harmless snake with a bright ring around its neck found in North America or Europe

is mainly applied to a specific North American species rather than broad regions
ringed snake
vsringneck
  • UK
5.5

A harmless snake found in England with a bright yellow or white collar

is used for a small usually harmless species found mainly in North America

Compounds

ringneck snake
  • US
7.2

A small snake that is not poisonous with a yellow or orange ring around its neck

Surface Forms

ringneck singular
ringnecks plural

Morphology

ringneck = ring + neck (transparent) = ring + neck

The compound labels a snake by its pale ring on the neck; the components directly indicate the marking.

Etymology

Ringneck is formed from ring ('a circular band') and neck ('the part between the head and body'). It refers to a small snake with a pale ring around its neck, so the name simply describes the snake's most visible mark.