Western diamondback rattlesnake
- noun
- /ˈwɛstərn ˈdaɪəmndbæk ˈrætəlˌsneɪk/
- US
:
serpiente de cascabel de diamante occidental
- While hiking in Arizona, I spotted a western diamondback rattlesnake sunning itself on a rock.
Examples
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Frames from a high-speed digital video sequence of a western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) striking a mouse.
Academic text (2002) -
This... this western diamondback rattlesnake is very, very venomous.
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He's got a western diamondback rattlesnake.
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The western diamondback rattlesnake is known for its distinctive diamond pattern on its back.
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The western diamondback rattlesnake is highly venomous and can deliver a painful bite if threatened.
Synonyms
4
8.6
A large rattlesnake with diamond-shaped marks on its back
1
7.2
A large venomous snake that has a rattle and diamond-shaped marks on its back
A large venomous rattlesnake that lives in the southwestern United States and Mexico
A large venomous rattlesnake with diamond-shaped marks on its back from the United States and Mexico
Surface Forms
Morphology
western + diamondback + rattlesnake
The phrase is a literal, descriptive compound: 'western' (from the west) modifies 'diamondback rattlesnake' (a rattlesnake with diamond-shaped markings), so a learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to a diamond-patterned rattlesnake from the western region. This follows ordinary noun-modifier composition and is denotative rather than idiomatic, making it immediately comprehensible to B1 learners.
Etymology
The name Western diamondback rattlesnake comes from the snake's look and where it lives. It combines Western (living in the western region), diamondback (the diamond shapes on its back) and rattlesnake (a tail that makes a loud rattle to 'warn'), so the name helps you remember a dangerous, venomous snake with a diamond pattern and a warning tail.