Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
genus Sistrurus

genus Sistrurus

9.9
A group of small venomous snakes like pygmy rattlesnakes from North America
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈsɪstrʊrəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Sistrurus
  • The genus Sistrurus includes several species of small rattlesnakes found in North America.

Examples

  • The massasauga is a well-known representative of the genus Sistrurus.

  • Researchers studied the venom yields of snakes within the genus Sistrurus.

  • The genus Sistrurus includes several species of rattlesnakes.

  • Did you know that the genus Sistrurus is found in North America?

  • Researchers studied the venom yields of snakes within the genus Sistrurus.

  • The genus Sistrurus includes several species of small rattlesnakes found in North America.

  • The massasauga is a well-known representative of the genus Sistrurus.

Synonyms

Sistrurus
vsgenus Sistrurus
  • Specialized
9.9

A small venomous rattlesnake that lives in North America

is more specific identifying them as pit vipers rather than general rattlesnakes

Surface Forms

genus Sistrurus singular
genera Sistrurus plural

Morphology

genus + Sistrurus

The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'genus' names a biological rank and 'Sistrurus' is the taxon name for certain rattlesnakes, so together they straightforwardly denote the taxonomic genus containing those species. This standard scientific naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Sistrurus may come from an old word for an Egyptian rattle, the sistrum, plus a word for tail. This picture of a 'rattling tail' helps explain why the name is used for small 'rattlesnakes' today.