What is "puff adder"

Puff \Puff\, n. [Akin to G. & Sw. puff a blow, Dan. puf, D. pof; of imitative origin. Cf. Buffet.]

1. A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff. `` To every puff of wind a slave.''
   --Flatman.

2. Anything light and filled with air. Specifically:

   1. A puffball.

   2. kind of light pastry.

   3. A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin or hair with powder.

3. An exaggerated or empty expression of praise, especially one in a public journal. Puff adder. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. Any South African viper belonging to Clotho and allied genera. They are exceedingly venomous, and have the power of greatly distending their bodies when irritated. The common puff adder ( Vipera arietans, or Clotho arietans) is the largest species, becoming over four feet long. The plumed puff adder ( Clotho cornuta) has a plumelike appendage over each eye.

   2. A North American harmless snake ( Heterodon platyrrhinos) which has the power of puffing up its body. Called also hog-nose snake, flathead, spreading adder, and blowing adder.

      Puff bird (Zo["o]l.), any bird of the genus Bucco, or family Bucconid[ae]. They are small birds, usually with dull-colored and loose plumage, and have twelve tail feathers. See Barbet (b) .

n. (alternative form of puffadder English)

1. n. large African viper that inflates its body when alarmed [syn: Bitis arietans]

2. harmless North American snake with upturned nose; may spread its head and neck or play dead when disturbed [syn: hognose snake, sand viper]

Puff Adder (Gordon Fraley) is fictional character, a mutant supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He made his debut in Captain America #337 (January 1988), created by writer Mark Gruenwald and artist Tom Morgan. The character is depicted primarily as a member of the Serpent Society.

Fraley made his debut as Puff Adder as part of the fourth version of the Serpent Squad alongside Copperhead, Fer-de-Lance and Black Racer, robbing a casino in Las Vegas. The heist was a ploy to gain acceptance into the Serpent Society by Society leader Sidewinder. Once part of the Society they help Viper take control of the Serpent Society and support her in a plot to take control of the President of the United States. The plot is eventually foiled by Captain America and several members of the Serpent Society who remained loyal to Sidewinder. After Viper is defeated the Serpent Society is reformed and Puff Adder becomes a regular member of the group. He later becomes a member of Serpent Solutions as the Serpent Society was reorganized.

Puff adder is the common name of several snake species:

• Bitis arietans, a venomous snake species found in Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula
• Bitis, any other member of this genus
• Heterodon, a genus of harmless North American colubrid snakes commonly known as hognose snakes

Puff adder may also refer to:

• Puff Adder (comics), a mutant supervillain in the Marvel Universe