milk snake

noun

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

milk snake

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of milk snake¹

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

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

The two most prevalent are the common garter snake and milk snake.

From Washington Times

But after she and her husband caught the snake in a transparent container, an expert told them it was a non-venomous female milk snake common in Massachusetts.

From Washington Times

“Is that a milk snake?” a man asked about a colorful specimen.

From Washington Times

They included members of the northern watersnake, racer, milk snake and queen snake species.

From Seattle Times