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# rattlesnake

noun (a rattlesnake, rattlesnakes; informal: rattler)

«rattlesnake» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A poisonous (venomous) snake of North and South America that has a rattle at the end of its tail made of hard rings, which it shakes to make a buzzing warning noise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science, the rattle is a warning signal and an adaptation: it tells bigger animals to stay away. Rattlesnakes are pit vipers that sense heat. In outdoor safety lessons in the USA, Canada and Mexico: stay on paths, watch where you put hands and feet, don't reach under rocks or logs; if you hear a rattle, freeze, find the snake, and back away slowly; if bitten, keep still and calm and get emergency help — don't cut or suck the wound. Phrases: rattlesnake bite, a rattler, shake its rattle.

### Examples

- The rattlesnake shook its tail to warn us. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x1)
- If you hear a rattlesnake, back away slowly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x2)
- Rattlesnakes live in deserts and grasslands in America. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x3)
- Watch where you step on desert trails — rattlesnakes hide under rocks. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x4)
- A rattlesnake bite needs a doctor straight away. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x5)
- The rattle is made of hard rings, like your fingernails. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x6)
- Baby rattlesnakes are venomous too. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/#x7)

### Note

One word: rattlesnake. There are no wild rattlesnakes in the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand (Australia has other venomous snakes). Snakes are venomous (poison injected by a bite), which is the correct word, though people often say «poisonous».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «rattlesnake» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/rattlesnake/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«rattlesnake» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/rattlesnake.html) on Mova free.