garter snake

noun

: any of a genus (Thamnophis) of harmless viviparous American snakes with longitudinal stripes on the back

Illustration of garter snake

Illustration of garter snake

Examples of garter snake in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pests and wildlife have at times infiltrated its campuses, including an incident where a garter snake entered a Boulder building. Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 For humans, a bite from a garter snake might cause mild irritation but is not dangerous. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 For example, the eastern garter snake births a litter of 10 to 40 snakes. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023 Hinton held up a black-and-yellow garter snake, perhaps a metre long, twisting round and round like a spring. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 For example, the butler's garter snake, which is a special concern species in Wisconsin, has habitats in southern Wisconsin, including in Milwaukee County. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023 Staring at the wall, Hall soon noticed more garter snakes and screamed. Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 In Canada, for example, Goode explains, garter snakes are known to hide out in dens with over 20,000 garter snakes in one spot. Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2023 The common garter snake is most populous in Wisconsin, the DNR notes. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'garter snake.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1743, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of garter snake was in 1743

Dictionary Entries Near garter snake

Cite this Entry

“Garter snake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/garter%20snake. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

garter snake

noun
: any of numerous harmless American snakes with stripes along the back

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