milk snake

American  

noun

1. any of numerous, usually brightly marked king snakes of the subspecies Lampropeltis triangulum (doliata ), of North America.

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milk snake British  

noun

1. a nonvenomous brown-and-grey North American colubrid snake Lampropeltis doliata, related to the king snakes

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Etymology

Origin of milk snake

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; so called because they were said to suck milk from cows

Compare meaning

How does milk-snake compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• king snake vs. milk snake

Example Sentences

It took some sleuthing, but they determined it was not a species prohibited in Oregon or Washington, and they further narrowed its identity to a Honduran milk snake.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2023

So it handed over the Honduran milk snake to Slade’s care.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 5, 2023

For this type of mimicry to work, it is essential that eating the milk snake has unpleasant but not fatal consequences.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

In Emsleyan/Mertensian mimicry, a deadly prey mimics a less dangerous one, such as the venomous coral snake mimicking the non-venomous milk snake.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

I knew a couple of wimmin kept a milk snake in their dairy for a pet.

From W. A. G.'s Tale by Turnbull, Margaret