chicken snake

American  

noun

1. a striped rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta, of the southeastern United States, reaching a length of 4 to 7 feet (1.2 to 2.1 meters).

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Etymology

Origin of chicken snake

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10

Example Sentences

One time me and my sister was spinning and old Mistress went to the well-house and she found a chicken snake and killed it.

From Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves Oklahoma Narratives by Work Projects Administration

It measured over four feet in length, was dark in color and was of the kind, that eats eggs and chicks, commonly called a chicken snake.

From The Choctaw Freedmen and The Story of Oak Hill Industrial Academy by Flickinger, Robert Elliott