snake
gb/snˈeɪk/ us/snˈeɪk/
A2
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
A long legless reptile
A long, thin animal with no legs and dry scales, which moves on the ground by sliding; some kinds have poison.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] snake
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes call any long, thin animal a "snake" (for example, an eel in the water). A snake is specifically a land reptile with scales, not a fish.
Synonyms
serpent (More literary or formal; often used in myths, religion, or stories rather than everyday conversation.)
Antonyms
mammal (Refers to warm-blooded animals with hair and usually legs, contrasting with reptiles like snakes.)
Collocations
venomous snake
|poisonous snake
|snake bite
|snake skin
|a nest of snakes
|snake species
Themes
animals
|nature
|science
Examples
- The snake slid silently through the dry grass.
- Be careful when lifting rocks; a snake could be hiding underneath.
- We saw a bright green snake wrapped around a tree branch in the rainforest.
- Some snake species can swallow animals much larger than their heads.
- The zookeeper used a hook to move the snake into its enclosure.
Learner examples
- A snake has no legs.
- The snake is sleeping in the sun.
- I am afraid of snake bites.
- We saw a big brown snake at the zoo.
- This snake is not dangerous.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
Deceitful or treacherous person
Someone who seems friendly but lies, cheats, or hurts other people in a secret way.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a (real) snake
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the animal and say things like "He is like a snake" when English speakers more naturally say "He is a snake" to insult someone.
Synonyms
backstabber (Emphasizes secretly hurting someone who trusts you, especially friends or colleagues.)
Antonyms
straight shooter (Someone who is honest and direct, the opposite of being sneaky or two-faced.)
Collocations
a real snake
|that snake
|turn out to be a snake
|such a snake
|a slippery snake
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|character
Examples
- He acted like my friend, but he was a snake who told the boss everything I said.
- Watch out for her; she's a snake when it comes to office politics.
- Only a snake would spread that kind of rumor about a coworker.
- I trusted him with my secrets, and that snake shared them with everyone.
- They called the agent a snake after he betrayed his own team.
Learner examples
- He is a snake. Do not trust him.
- She smiled at me, but she is a snake inside.
- My coworker is a snake who tells the boss my mistakes.
- Only a snake would lie to his best friend.
- People think he is nice, but he is a snake.
Verb
B2
action
3
Move in a winding path
To go in a long, slow line that turns left and right many times, like a snake on the ground.
Usage pattern:
[something] snakes through [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "snake" as a verb always means "to move secretly". In this sense, it focuses on the shape and curves of the movement, not on being hidden.
Synonyms
wind (Very close in meaning; "wind" is more common and slightly broader, used for roads, rivers, and paths that curve.)
Antonyms
go straight (Describes movement in a direct line, without the curves implied by "snake".)
Collocations
snake through
|snake along
|snake around
|road snakes through
|river snakes across
|path snakes up the hill
Themes
movement
|nature
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A narrow trail snakes through the forest for several miles.
- The river snakes across the valley before reaching the sea.
- Traffic crawled along the highway that snakes around the mountains.
- A line of tourists snaked down the street outside the museum.
- The pipeline snakes under the desert to deliver water to the city.
Learner examples
- The road snakes through the mountains.
- A small path snakes between the trees.
- The river snakes across the flat land.
- The line of people snakes around the building.
- A long queue snaked through the airport.
unknown
C1
action
4
Move quietly to avoid notice
To move slowly and very quietly so that other people do not see or hear you.
Usage pattern:
[someone] snakes into [a place]
Common mistake:
Learners often use only "sneak" for this idea and do not recognize "snake" as a verb. Note that this use is less common and usually adds a negative or slightly playful tone.
Synonyms
sneak (More common for this idea; "snake" adds a feeling of being especially sly or low.)
Antonyms
march (To walk in a loud, open, and formal way, clearly opposite to moving quietly and secretly.)
Collocations
snake into
|snake out of
|snake past
|snake around security
Themes
movement
|behavior
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He managed to snake into the concert without a ticket.
- The reporter tried to snake past the guards to get closer to the stage.
- She snaked out of the meeting before anyone could ask her a question.
- They snaked into the building through a side door after midnight.
- The cat snaked into the kitchen, hoping no one would see it steal food.
Learner examples
- He snaked into the room so no one saw him.
- The boy snaked out of the house at night.
- She snaked past the guard and went inside.
- They snaked into the cinema without tickets.
- I tried to snake out before the long speech started.
Noun
B2
entity
5
Flexible tool for unclogging drains
A long, bendy tool that you put into a pipe or sink to clear something that is blocking it.
Usage pattern:
use a snake on [a drain]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "snake" here still means the animal. In hardware or home-repair contexts, "a snake" often refers to this tool, not a live creature.
Synonyms
drain snake (A more specific name that clearly links the tool to drains.)
Antonyms
blockage (The thing that stops water from flowing; the snake is used to remove this.)
Collocations
drain snake
|plumber's snake
|use a snake
|run a snake through the pipe
Themes
home
|tools
|plumbing
|housing
|daily_life
Examples
- The plumber used a snake to clear the clogged kitchen sink.
- You might need a drain snake if the plunger doesn't work.
- He ran a snake through the pipe until the water started flowing again.
- A long metal snake is kept in the maintenance closet for emergencies.
- They rented a powered snake to deal with the main sewer line blockage.
Learner examples
- The plumber used a snake to clean the pipe.
- We need a drain snake for this sink.
- He pushed the snake into the pipe to remove the hair.
- They rented a snake because the toilet was blocked.
- I cannot fix this with a plunger, so I will try a snake.
Verb
informal
C1
action
6
Steal or grab slyly
To quickly and quietly take something, usually a small thing, so that people do not see you.
Usage pattern:
snake [something] from [someone/somewhere]
Common mistake:
This use is informal and less common. Learners may overuse it or think it always means serious crime. It is usually used for small, slightly bad actions, often in a light or joking way.
Synonyms
steal (More general and often stronger; "snake" suggests a quick, sneaky, usually minor act.)
Antonyms
offer (To give something openly and willingly, opposite to taking it secretly.)
Collocations
snake a fry
|snake a look
|snake a taste
|snake a seat
Themes
behavior
|informal
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He snaked a fry from her plate when she wasn't looking.
- She tried to snake a quick look at his test answers.
- Someone snaked my seat while I went to get coffee.
- The child snaked a cookie from the jar before dinner.
- He snaked the last slice of pizza and pretended not to notice anyone else wanted it.
Learner examples
- He snaked a cookie from the box.
- She snaked a fry from his plate.
- The boy snaked a quick look at the answers.
- Someone snaked my chair when I stood up.
- He snaked a piece of chocolate and hid it.
Grammar
Dictionary form
snake
IPA
GB/snˈeɪk/
US/snˈeɪk/
Syllables & stress
snake (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (snake)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: snake
- Plural: snakes
Verb
- Base: snake
- 3rd Person Singular: snakes
- Present Participle: snaking
- Past: snaked
Word family
Forms
snakes
noun
snaking
verb
snaked
verb
Related words
snakebite
noun
snakeskin
noun
snakelike
adjective
Advanced or less common
snaky
adjective
Expressions
lower than a snake's belly
1/lˈoʊɚ ðən ə snˈeɪks bˈɛli/
idiom
informal
Extremely low or despicable
Very bad and without morals; used to strongly insult someone's character or actions.
Examples
- Anyone who scams old people is lower than a snake's belly.
- She called him lower than a snake's belly after he lied to the whole family.
- That kind of behavior is lower than a snake's belly in my book.
snake bite
1/snˈeɪk bˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
Bite from a snake
A wound made when a snake bites a person or animal, sometimes putting poison into the body.
Examples
- He was rushed to the hospital with a snake bite on his ankle.
- Hikers are warned about the risk of snake bites in this area.
- They learned basic first aid for snake bites during the safety course.
snake charmer
1/snˈeɪk t͡ʃˈɑɹmɚ/
fixed phrase
Performer who works with snakes
A person, especially in some Asian and African countries, who shows snakes to an audience and seems to control them with music.
Examples
- We saw a snake charmer performing in the market square.
- Old movies often show a snake charmer playing a flute to a cobra.
- The festival featured dancers, musicians, and even a snake charmer.
snake eyes
1/snˈeɪk ˈaɪz/
idiom
Two ones in dice roll
When you roll two dice and both of them show one, especially in gambling games.
Examples
- He rolled snake eyes and lost all his money.
- The crowd groaned when the shooter hit snake eyes at the table.
- Getting snake eyes twice in a row felt like terrible luck.
snake oil
1/snˈeɪk ˈɔɪl/
idiom
Fake or useless remedy
A product or plan that is sold as something amazing but actually does not work or is not helpful.
Examples
- Many people think those miracle diet pills are just snake oil.
- The new app sounded impressive, but critics called it snake oil.
- He promised to fix the economy with what turned out to be political snake oil.
snake your way into
1/snˈeɪk jˈʊɹ wˈeɪ ˈɪntu/
fixed phrase
Move or get into indirectly
To slowly and carefully get into a place or situation by moving around people or things, or by using indirect methods.
Examples
- They managed to snake their way into the VIP area without passes.
- We snaked our way into the crowded theater and finally found seats.
- He snaked his way into the conversation and changed the topic.
snake in the grass
1/snˈeɪk ˈɪn ðə ɡɹˈæs/
idiom
Hidden but dangerous or disloyal person
Someone who seems kind or safe but will hurt, cheat, or betray you when you do not expect it.
Examples
- I thought he was my friend, but he turned out to be a snake in the grass.
- Watch out for her—she’s a snake in the grass.
- Watch her closely; there's a snake in the grass in this team.
- The politician called his rival a snake in the grass after the surprise attack.
snake pit
1/snˈeɪk pˈɪt/
idiom
Hostile or chaotic situation
A place or situation that feels very unfriendly, stressful, or full of angry and competitive people.
Examples
- The office turned into a snake pit of blame and gossip.
- Without strong leadership, that office became a snake pit.
- Some reality shows are like a snake pit for the contestants.
- Some reality TV shows are basically emotional snake pits.
- New employees often describe the trading floor as a snake pit.