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.
-
(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.