cerastes
[ suh-ras-teez ]
/ səˈræs tiz /
noun, plural ce·ras·tes.
any of several small vipers of the genus Cerastes, including the horned viper, that have a sideways looping motion like that of a sidewinder and inhabit deserts of northern Africa and southwestern Asia.
Origin of cerastes
1768; < New Latin < Greek
kerástēs literally, something horned, equivalent to
kerat- stem of
kéras horn +
-tēs noun suffix; earlier in sense “asp,” Middle English < Medieval Latin, Latin, as above
Words nearby cerastes
ceramics,
ceramidase,
ceramide,
ceramist,
cerargyrite,
cerastes,
cerastium,
cerat-,
cerate,
cerated,
cerato-
Example sentences from the Web for cerastes
British Dictionary definitions for cerastes
cerastes
/ (səˈræstiːz) /
noun plural -tes
any venomous snake of the genus Cerastes, esp the horned viper
Word Origin for cerastes
C16: from Latin: horned serpent, from Greek
kerastēs horned, from
keras horn