snake
/sneɪk/ (bre, ipa) · [snˈek] /sneɪk/ (ame, ipa) · [snˈek] /ˈsnāk/ (ame, mw)
snake — noun
- snakesingular
- snakesplural
1. a long, thin reptile covered in scales that moves by sliding along the ground an
a long, thin reptile covered in scales that moves by sliding along the ground and has no legs; some types can inject poison through a bite.
Sora saw a green snake resting on a rock near the hiking trail.
position: resting on + location
The farmer warned the children to stay away from the tall grass where a snake might hide.
habitat: tall grass where snake hides
A snake's skin feels dry and smooth, not wet like many people imagine.
Ife carefully stepped over a long black snake that lay across the dirt path.
Some snakes can climb trees to hunt for birds' eggs and small animals.
文法句型
a/the + snake
snake + verb (bites, moves, hides)
用法筆記
Countable noun. Often appears in compound nouns such as 'snakebite', 'snakeskin', and 'snake charmer'. In casual conversation, learners may hear 'snake' described by colour, size, or whether it is venomous.
常見錯誤
2. someone who behaves in a friendly way towards you but secretly works against you
someone who behaves in a friendly way towards you but secretly works against you or betrays your trust for their own gain.
That man smiled at me all week but then spread lies about me — he is a complete snake.
informal: be a complete snake
Rohan warned Joaquín never to trust him, saying he was a snake who would betray anyone for money.
metaphor: a snake who would betray
Colleagues avoided Theo after he acted like a snake toward his own team.
Yara's honest-looking friend turned out to be a snake who stole her business idea.
- traitor
someone who betrays a country, group, or person; more formal and carries a stronger sense of disloyalty (B2)
- backstabber
someone who pretends to be your friend but harms you secretly; very informal and vivid (C1)
- ally
someone who supports and stands by you (B2)
文法句型
be + a snake
call someone a snake
用法筆記
Stronger than simply 'untrustworthy' — this sense implies active, deliberate betrayal. Often used after the person's dishonest actions have been discovered. Common in workplace and social contexts.
常見錯誤
3. a long, thin, flexible metal tool that plumbers push into pipes to remove blocka
a long, thin, flexible metal tool that plumbers push into pipes to remove blockages or clogs.
The plumber pulled a long snake from his truck to unclog the kitchen drain.
tool used to unclog drains
When water would not go down the bathroom sink, Sade used a snake to break up the blockage.
A plumbing snake is made of coiled wire that bends around curves inside the pipe.
The old pipes needed more than hot water — the handyman had to feed a snake deep into the pipe.
- drain snake
the same tool, emphasising its use for drains rather than pipes in general (C1)
- plumber's auger
a more technical term for the same device; less commonly used in everyday speech (C2)
文法句型
a + snake
use a snake
feed a snake into + pipe
用法筆記
Almost always used in the context of plumbing. Also called a 'drain snake' or 'plumber's snake'. Learners at lower levels can simply say 'plumber's tool' or 'drain cleaner' instead.
snake — verb
- snakepresent simple I / you / we / they
- snakes3rd person singular
- snaking-ing form
- snakedpast simple
1. to follow a route made of many curves and bends instead of going straight, used
to follow a route made of many curves and bends instead of going straight, used especially for roads, rivers, paths, or long lines of people or vehicles.
The mountain road snakes around steep cliffs for nearly twenty kilometres before reaching the village.
snake around + geographical feature
A narrow footpath snakes through the bamboo forest, connecting two small farms.
The river snakes across the valley floor, creating a long series of gentle bends.
A line of visitors snaked around the museum building as people waited to enter the new exhibition.
The procession snaked slowly through the old town, following the narrow streets.
- go straight
to move without turning or curving (A2)
文法句型
snake + through/along/around/down + noun phrase
snake one's way + prepositional phrase
用法筆記
Intransitive — the subject (road, river, path, queue) moves in a winding way; there is no direct object. The only exception is the reflexive pattern 'snake one's way', which is less common. Usually describes natural or slow movement, not fast motion.