The Collaborative International Dictionary
moccasin \moc"ca*sin\, n. [An Indian word. Algonquin makisin.]
A shoe made of deerskin, or other soft leather, the sole and upper part being one piece. It is the customary shoe worn by the American Indians.
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(Zo["o]l.) A poisonous snake of the Southern United States. The water moccasin ( Ancistrodon piscivorus syn. Agkistrodon piscivorus, also called cottonmouth and cottonmouth water moccasin) is usually found in or near water. Above, it is olive brown, barred with black; beneath, it is brownish yellow, mottled with darker. The upland moccasin is Ancistrodon atrofuscus. They resemble rattlesnakes, but are without rattles.
Moccasin flower (Bot.), a species of lady's slipper ( Cypripedium acaule) found in North America. The lower petal is two inches long, and forms a rose-colored moccasin-shaped pouch. It grows in rich woods under coniferous trees.
cottonmouth \cottonmouth\ n. venomous semiaquatic snake ( Agkistrodon piscivorus) of swamps in southern U.S.; -- called also water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, and cottonmouth water moccasin. It grows to a length of about 4 feet. The name refers to the whiteness of the lips and inside of the mouth.
Syn: water moccasin, cottonmouth moccasin, Agkistrodon piscivorus.
Usage examples of "cottonmouth water moccasin".
There, coiled comfortably on the second step, was a thick mottled specimen that Curly recognized as a cottonmouth water moccasin, common in southern Florida.