diamondback

[ dahy-muh nd-bak, dahy-uh- ]
/ ˈdaɪ məndˌbæk, ˈdaɪ ə- /

adjective

bearing diamond-shaped marks, designs, or configurations on the back.

noun

diamondback rattlesnake.
diamondback terrapin.
diamondback moth.

Origin of diamondback

First recorded in 1810–20; diamond + back1

Words nearby diamondback

diamond state, diamond wedding, diamond willow, diamond-leaf laurel, diamond-point spoon, diamondback, diamondback moth, diamondback rattlesnake, diamondback terrapin, diamondiferous, diamorphine

Example sentences from the Web for diamondback

  • It was a diamondback rattler, and lay coiled on the rug at my feet.

    Vigorish |Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for diamondback

diamondback
/ (ˈdaɪəməndˌbæk) /

noun

Also called: diamondback terrapin, diamondback turtle any edible North American terrapin of the genus Malaclemys, esp M. terrapin, occurring in brackish and tidal waters and having diamond-shaped markings on the shell: family Emydidae
a large North American rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus, having cream-and-grey diamond-shaped markings