green snake

American  

noun

1. any slender, green snake of the genus Opheodrys, of North America, feeding chiefly on insects.

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Etymology

Origin of green snake

An Americanism dating back to 1700–10

Example Sentences

The same month, Lee was also called to a high-rise residential building in a rural area to capture a bamboo pit viper - a common, venomous green snake whose bite can cause a nasty swell.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2021

She has an immortal sidekick who comes from a green snake.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 11, 2019

The sinuous Júcar is a green snake of a river, flanked by forest, river beaches and allotments: the latter a patchwork of fruit trees, almonds, olives and neat rows of lettuce.

From The Guardian • Aug. 17, 2019

If you see a little green snake, do not be alarmed, it’s a garter snake and it’s harmless.

From New York Times • Jun. 7, 2018

I once saw a small green snake rub itself against a stone until its old skin peeled away, transparent and thin as paper.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan