rat snake

noun

1. any of several New and Old World colubrid snakes, of the genus Elaphe, that feed chiefly on small mammals and birds.

rat snake

noun

1. any of various nonvenomous rodent-eating colubrid snakes, such as Elaphe obsoleta of North America and Ptyas mucosus of Asia

Word History and Origins

Origin of rat snake¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

All the roofs of the thatched bungalows swarm with rats, and in every house is kept a rat-snake, which kills and eats these rats.

From Project Gutenberg

A friend informs us that he once saw in these gardens a rat-snake of Ceylon devour a common Coluber natrix.

From Project Gutenberg

There is a belief in Ceylon that the bite of the rat-snake, though harmless to man, is fatal to black cattle.

From Project Gutenberg

A person should postpone an errand on which he is starting, if he sees a cobra or rat-snake.

From Project Gutenberg

One the great serpent would select, would lap in scaly coils, crush to a red pulp and swallow as a rat-snake swallows a mouse.

From Project Gutenberg