carpet snake
- noun
- Australian
:
serpiente alfombra
- The carpet snake slithered silently through the grass.
Examples
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Farmers often welcome the presence of a carpet snake because it helps control rodent populations.
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While bushwalking, we spotted two carpet snakes basking in the sun.
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A large carpet snake was coiled up near the roof of the garden shed.
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While bushwalking, we spotted two carpet snakes basking in the sun.
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Many carpet snakes are found in Queensland.
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A large carpet snake was coiled up near the roof of the garden shed.
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Farmers often welcome the presence of a carpet snake because it helps control rodent populations.
Synonyms
A kind of Australian snake with a patterned back often called the carpet python
A large snake from northern Australia with many different colored marks on its back
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'carpet snake' is a transparent noun–noun composition where 'carpet' describes a characteristic (a carpet-like variegated pattern or association) of the head noun 'snake', so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a type of snake. This descriptive modifier+noun pattern is common in English and cross-linguistically, making the meaning immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Carpet snake comes from the pattern on the animal's back that looks like a floor carpet, so people used the word 'carpet' to name the snake. That's why the name means an Australian python with a spotted, carpet-like pattern.
