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Glite Dictionary
checkered adder

checkered adder

9.9
A harmless tan and brown snake with an arrow-shaped spot on its head and sometimes red stripes
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɛkərd ˈædər/
  • US
translation icon : serpiente de cascabel
  • The checkered adder is commonly mistaken for the venomous coral snake due to its red stripes.

Examples

  • Unlike many snakes in the region, the checkered adder is harmless to humans.

  • Researchers observed a checkered adder basking in the sun near the forest edge.

  • The checkered adder is often mistaken for coral snakes.

  • Have you ever seen a checkered adder in the wild?

  • Researchers observed a checkered adder basking in the sun near the forest edge.

  • The checkered adder is commonly mistaken for the venomous coral snake due to its red stripes.

  • Unlike many snakes in the region, the checkered adder is harmless to humans.

Synonyms

milk adder
vscheckered adder
  • US
9.9

A harmless tan and brown snake often with red stripes and an arrow spot on its head

is the two-word family name form but otherwise identical

Surface Forms

checkered adder singular
checkered adders plural

Morphology

checkered + adder

This is a straightforward adjective + noun combination: 'checkered' describes a patterned appearance and 'adder' denotes a type of snake, so the phrase literally denotes a snake with a checkered pattern. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Checkered adder comes from the animal's look: checkered means it has a pattern of dark and light marks on its back, and adder is an old word for 'snake'. So the name paints a simple picture — a patterned 'snake' — which helps explain why the term refers to this harmless species sometimes mistaken for a 'dangerous' coral snake.