copperhead

[ kop-er-hed ]

noun

1. a venomous snake, Agkistrodon ( Ancistrodon ) contortrix, of the eastern and southern U.S., having a light-brown to copper-red body marked with darker bands.
2. an extremely venomous but sluggish snake, Denisonia superba, of Australia and Tasmania, having a reddish to black body, depending on the region.
3. Copperhead,
   1. U.S. History. a Northern Democrat who opposed the Civil War, advocating peace and restoration of the Union even if slavery continued.
   2. Military. a finned, 155 mm cannon-launched U.S. Army artillery shell that homes on the target, using the reflection of a laser beam projected by a forward observer.

copperhead

/ ˈkɒpəˌhɛd /

noun

1. a venomous reddish-brown snake, Agkistrodon contortrix, of the eastern US: family Crotalidae (pit vipers)
2. a venomous reddish-brown Australian elapid snake, Denisonia superba
3. informal.
   a Yankee supporter of the South during the Civil War

Word History and Origins

Origin of copperhead¹

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; copper ¹ + head

Related Words

• cobra