coachwhip

[ kohch-hwip, -wip ]

noun

1. a whip, usually having a long lash, used in driving a coach horse.
2. Also called coachwhip snake. a long, slender snake, Masticophis flagellum, of the southern United States and Mexico, having a thin tail resembling a braided whip.

Word History and Origins

Origin of coachwhip¹

First recorded in 1730–40; coach + whip

Example Sentences

Rattlesnake Solutions made headlines in July when the company successfully removed a non-venomous coachwhip snake from a Tucson home.

From Seattle Times

It took the handler — who Lespron calls “my hero” — three tries to get the black and pink coachwhip snake firmly in his grasp.

From Seattle Times

While we were sitting watching the cave before sunset, we spotted a Western coachwhip snake, fat and scaly, loafing just above the entrance.

From The New Yorker

Secor noticed that the coachwhip, whose form is long and slender, was always on the move, chasing little lizards through the Kelso Dunes.

From New York Times

While inspecting the spectacles of coachwhip snakes in the lab, Dr van Doorn found that blood flow was indeed dynamic and not constant.

From BBC