noun. Any of various venomous pit vipers of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the Americas, having at the end of the tail a series of loosely attached, horny segments that can be vibrated to produce a rattling or buzzing sound.

noun. A venomous serpent of the family Crotalidæ, whose tail ends in a rattle or crepitaculum; a crotaliform or solenogly phic serpent, or pit-viper, of either of the genera Crotalus and Crotalophorus.

noun. Any one of several species of venomous American snakes belonging to the genera Crotalus and Caudisona, or Sistrurus; sometimes also called rattler. They have a series of horny interlocking joints at the end of the tail which make a sharp rattling sound when shaken. The common rattlesnake of the Northern United States (Crotalus horridus), and the diamondback rattlesnake (also called diamondback rattler, and diamondback) of the South and East (Crotalus adamanteus) and West (Crotalus atrox), are the best known. See Illust. of fang.

noun. a small rattlesnake (Caudisona miliaria or Sistrurus miliaria) of the Southern United States, having a small rattle. It has nine large scales on its head.

noun. a common American fern (Botrychium Virginianum) having a triangular decompound frond and a long-stalked panicle of spore cases rising from the middle of the frond.

noun. a handsome American grass (Glyceria Canadensis) with an ample panicle of rather large ovate spikelets, each one composed of imbricated parts and slightly resembling the rattle of the rattlesnake. Sometimes called quaking grass.

noun. See under Plantain.

noun. a name given to certain American species of the composite genus Prenanthes (Prenanthes alba and Prenanthes serpentaria), formerly asserted to cure the bite of the rattlesnake. Called also lion's foot, gall of the earth, and white lettuce.

noun. A composite plant, the blazing star (Liatris squarrosa).

noun. a plant of the composite genus Hieracium (Hieracium venosum); -- probably so named from its spotted leaves. See also Snakeroot.

noun. Any of various poisonous American snakes, of genera Crotalus and Sistrurus, having a rattle at the end of its tail.

noun. pit viper with horny segments at the end of the tail that rattle when shaken

"Among others, there is a sort of snake, which we call rattlesnake, from a certain object which it has back upon its tail, two or three fingers 'breadth long, and has ten or twelve joints, and with this it makes a noise like the crickets."

pacific-rattlesnake  red-diamond rattlesnake  tiger rattlesnake  white rattlesnake  

pit viper  

banded rattlesnake  crotalus adamanteus  crotalus atrox  crotalus cerastes  crotalus horridus horridus  

adder  alligator  cobra  cockroach  cougar  

rattler  

diamond-back  diamondback rattler  fang  rattler