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Glite Dictionary
black racer

black racer

7.9
A fast black snake that is not venomous and lives in the eastern United States
  • noun
  • /blæk ˈreɪsər/
  • US
translation icon : serpiente corredora negra
  • The black racers are known for their speed.

Examples

  • A black racer darted across the trail and disappeared into the underbrush.

  • I saw a black racer in my backyard yesterday.

  • Despite its size, the black racer poses no threat to humans.

  • We spotted a young black racer sunning itself on the stone wall.

  • While hiking in the woods, I spotted a black racer quickly slithering across the trail.

  • The black racer is a common sight in gardens, where it helps control pests like mice.

  • Many people mistake the black racer for a venomous snake, but it is harmless.

Synonyms

racer
vsblack racer
  • US
1 8.2

A thin fast snake found in North America that is not venomous

is the more specific eastern snake that is black and reaches about six feet
Coluber constrictor
vsblack racer
  • Specialized
9.1

A large fast snake with no venom that lives in the eastern United States

is the common name that highlights black color and typical length

Surface Forms

black racer singular
black racers plural

Morphology

black + racer

This is a straightforward color + noun species name: combining 'black' with 'racer' (given here as a fast-moving nonvenomous snake) yields a black-colored racer snake, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents. The compounding pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal English noun modification, so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand the MWE.

Etymology

Black racer is a simple name that describes the snake: it is black and moves very quickly, so people called it a racer, meaning 'fast'. That's why the name today refers to a fast, 'not poisonous' black snake.