Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
spitting snake

spitting snake

8.4
A venomous southern African snake that sprays venom at a threat, often to hit the eyes
  • noun
  • South African
translation icon : serpiente escupidora
  • The spitting snake can accurately aim its venom at the eyes of a threat from several feet away.

Examples

  • Conservationists observed a spitting snake exhibiting its unique defensive behavior in the wild.

  • The spitting snake can accurately hit its target from several meters away.

  • Children were warned not to approach the spitting snake found near the hiking trail.

  • Have you ever seen a spitting snake in the wild?

  • Children were warned not to approach the spitting snake found near the hiking trail.

  • Conservationists observed a spitting snake exhibiting its unique defensive behavior in the wild.

  • The spitting snake can accurately aim its venom at the eyes of a threat from several feet away.

Synonyms

spitting cobra
vsspitting snake
  • South African
1 6.4

A dangerous African snake that defends itself by spitting venom into the eyes

is specific to southern Africa and one snake type rather than all African cobras
Hemachatus haemachatus
vsspitting snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A highly venomous snake from southern Africa that can spit venom to protect itself

is the general term for similar southern African snakes that eject venom defensively
rinkhals
vsspitting snake
  • South African
9.9

A venomous snake from southern Africa that can spit venom several feet

is a broader label for such southern African snakes that eject venom
ringhals
vsspitting snake
  • South African
9.9

A venomous snake from southern Africa that can spit venom to defend itself

is the general name for those snakes that spit venom defensively in the region
Hemachatus
vsspitting snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A venomous snake that lives in southern Africa and can spit venom

is used for an individual snake rather than the full genus grouping
Naja nigricollis
vsspitting snake
  • Specialized
9.9

A dangerous African cobra that spits venom into eyes and can cause blindness

is focused on southern African examples rather than widely across the continent
black-necked cobra
vsspitting snake
  • South African
8.6

A large African snake with a black neck that can spit venom into eyes and cause blindness

is the term for the southern snake that ejects venom as defense

How Dangerous

spitting snake
  • South African
8.4
snake
427 1.0
ring snake
  • UK
6.9

Surface Forms

spitting snake singular
spitting snakes plural

Morphology

spit + snake

The noun phrase is a straightforward compositional combination: 'spitting' describes an action (to eject liquid) and 'snake' names the reptile, so a learner who knows both words can infer a snake that spits (i.e., ejects liquid/venom). This literal interpretation is cross-linguistically common and requires no idiomatic knowledge, making the expression transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun spitting snake comes from a real snake that defends itself by spitting venom toward a threat. The word spitting shows the action and snake names the animal, so the phrase means 'a snake that can aim and shoot venom'.