What is "copperhead"

Copperhead \Cop"per*head`\, n. [From its color.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) A poisonous American serpent ( Ancistrodon conotortrix), closely allied to the rattlesnake, but without rattles; -- called also copper-belly, and red viper.

2. A nickname applied to a person in the Northern States who sympathized with the South during the Civil War. [U.S.]

Trigonocephalus contortrix, 1775, American English, so called for color markings between its eyes; see copper + head (n.). Poisonous "sneak snakes" (because they bite without warning), the name is said to have been first used in reference to Northerners suspected of Southern sympathies in Greeley's New York "Tribune," July 20, 186

1. Charles H. Coleman, "The Use of the Term 'Copperhead' During the Civil War" ["Mississippi Valley Historical Review" 25 (1938), p.263] traces it to an anonymous letter against Ohio anti-war Democrats in the Cincinnati "Commercial" newspaper in the summer of 1861. It seems not to have been in widespread use until summer 186

n. 1 Any of various types of snakes having a copper-colored head. 2 # (taxlink Agkistrodon contortrix species noshow=1), a venomous pit viper species found in parts of North America. 3 # (taxlink Austrelaps genus noshow=1), or (vern: Australian copperhead), a genus of venomous elapids found in southern Australia and Tasmania. 4 # (taxlink Elaphe radiata species noshow=1), the (vern: copperhead rat snake), a non-venomous species found in southern Asia. 5 # (taxlink Deinagkistrodon acutus species noshow=1), the (vern: Chinese copperhead), a venomous pit viper species found in Southeast Asia 6 (context pejorative English) Someone with ginger hair.

1. n. common coppery brown pit viper of upland eastern United States [syn: Agkistrodon contortrix]

2. venomous but sluggish reddish-brown snake of Australia [syn: Denisonia superba]

Copperhead may refer to:

In the 1860s, the Copperheads comprised a vocal faction of Democrats in the Northern United States of the Union who opposed the American Civil War, wanting an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates. Republicans started calling anti-war Democrats "Copperheads", likening them to the venomous snake. Those Democrats accepted the label, reinterpreting the copper "head" as the likeness of Liberty, which they cut from Liberty Head large cent coins and proudly wore as badges. Democratic supporters of the war, by contrast, were called War Democrats.

The Copperheads represented the more extreme wing of the "Northern Democrats". Notable Copperheads included two Democratic congressmen from Ohio: Clement L. Vallandigham and Alexander Long. Republican prosecutors accused some prominent Copperheads of treason in a series of trials in 1864.

Copperheadism, a highly contentious, grass-roots movement, had its strongest base in the area just north of the Ohio River, as well as in some urban ethnic wards. Some historians have argued that it represented a traditionalistic element alarmed at the rapid modernization of society sponsored by the Republican Party, and that it looked back to Jacksonian Democracy for inspiration. Weber (2006) argues that the Copperheads damaged the Union war effort by opposing conscription (the "draft"), encouraging desertion, and forming conspiracies, but other historians say that the draft was already in disrepute and that the Republicans greatly exaggerated the conspiracies for partisan reasons.

Historians agree that the Copperheads' goal of restoring the Union with slavery was naive and impractical, for the Confederates refused to consider giving up their independence. The Copperheads became a major target of the Union (Republican) party in the 1864 presidential election. Copperhead support increased when Union armies did poorly, and decreased when they won great victories. After the fall of Atlanta in September 1864, Union military success seemed assured, and Copperheadism collapsed.

In rock climbing, a copperhead is a small nut with a head made of soft metal on a loop of wire, originally copper or brass, later aluminium. Copperheads are placed in the smallest cracks and seams where their malleability means that they can conform to the rock and grip better: often they need to be hammered into place. Their small size and low strength makes them among the poorest kinds of protection; their main use is in aid climbing where a placement that will just support the weight of the climber can be used to make progress, even though it would be useless in a fall.

Copperhead, in comics, may refer to:

• Copperhead (DC Comics), two characters of that name published by DC Comics
• Copperhead (Marvel Comics), three characters of that name published by Marvel Comics
• Copperhead (Image Comics), an ongoing space western series published by Image Comics

Copperhead is a DC Comics supervillain, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #78, June (1968) and was created by Bob Haney and Bob Brown.

Copperhead is a 2008 American television Horror Western film directed by Todor Chapkanov. It stars Brad Johnson, Keith Scaduto, Brad Greenquist, Wendy Carter, Gabriel Womack, and Billy Drago. The film aired on the Sci Fi Channel on June 28, 2008.

Copperhead is the name of three different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first Copperhead was Lawrence Chesney, who made his debut in Daredevil #124 (Aug 1975) and was created by writers Len Wein and Marv Wolfman, and artist Gene Colan. The second Copperhead, Arthur Reynolds, was a coworker of Chesney and stole his costume after Chesney was killed. Reynolds first appeared in Human Fly #8 (Apr 1978) by writer Bill Mantlo and artist. Frank Robbins. The third person to use the name Copperhead is totally unrelated to the first two characters, Davis Lawfers, who took the name from the snake of the same name. Lawfers first appeared in Captain America #337 (1988) created by writers Mark Gruenwald and Ralph Macchio and artist Tom Morgan.

Chesney who's mental illness leads himself to think he was Copperhead, a pulp fiction hero he grew up reading. Chesney would leave copper pennies on the eyes of his murder victims. When he began to target the writer and publisher of the original Copperhead stories he is stopped by Daredevil. During the fight Chesney was struck by lighting and killed. Reynolds worked with Chesney as a museum guard and later discovered Chesney's secret identity. Using the costume he planned to rob the museum where he worked as a guard, but was stopped by White Tiger and the Human Fly.

The third Copperhead, was originally a henchman of Viper, given a suit with built in powers based on the Copperhead. Teamed up with Fer-de-lance, Black Racer, and Puff Adder they formed the Serpent Squad, a ploy to get them accepted into the Serpent Society. The group is accepted by Sidewinder and the Serpent Society, enabling them to help push Sidewider out of power, allowing Viper to take control of the group. When Viper is deposed later on Copperhead leaves the Serpent Society. He later returned to the Serpent Society and became part of Serpent Solutions when the group was reorganized in 2015.

Copperhead is a fictional character from the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and cartoon series. He is Cobra's Water Moccasin pilot and debuted in 1984.

Copperhead is an independent Canadian/American film directed by Ron Maxwell . It stars Billy Campbell. Shot at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada and set in upstate New York, it was released June 28, 2013. The film is based on a 19th-century novel, The Copperhead, by Harold Frederic. The title refers to Northern opponents of the American Civil War, known as Copperheads.

Copperhead is a Space Western comic book series written by Jay Faerber and illustrated by Scott Godlewski, published monthly by American company Image Comics.

The first issue of Copperhead was published on September 10, 2014, to positive reviews and a sold-out first printing. The first five-issue story arc was published in trade paperback form in March 2015.