cottonmouth

[ kot-n-mouth ]
/ ˈkɒt nˌmaʊθ /

noun, plural cot·ton·mouths [kot-n-mouths, -mouth z] /ˈkɒt nˌmaʊθs, -ˌmaʊðz/.

a venomous snake, Agkistrodon (Ancistrodon) piscivorus, of swamps in southeastern U.S., that grows to about 4 feet (1.2 meters).
Also called water moccasin.

Origin of cottonmouth

1825–35, Americanism; cotton + mouth, so called from the whiteness of its lips and mouth

Words nearby cottonmouth

cotton wool, cotton-fiber embolism, cotton-picking, cotton-wool patches, cottonade, cottonmouth, cottonpickin', cottonseed, cottonseed cake, cottonseed meal, cottonseed oil

Words related to cotton mouth

thirsty, arid, burned, shriveled, dry, drain, sear, parch, evaporate, exsiccate, desiccate, waterless

British Dictionary definitions for cotton mouth

cottonmouth
/ (ˈkɒtənˌmaʊθ) /

noun

another name for the water moccasin