pit viper
noun
any of numerous venomous snakes of the family Crotalidae, of the New World, Asia, and the Malay Archipelago, as the rattlesnake, water moccasin, and copperhead, having a heat-sensitive pit on each side of the head between the eye and nostril.
Origin of pit viper
First recorded in 1880–85
Words nearby pit viper
pit river,
pit sample,
pit sawing,
pit scale,
pit stop,
pit viper,
pit-sawn,
pita,
pitahaya,
pitaka,
pitanga
British Dictionary definitions for pit viper
pit viper
noun
any venomous snake of the New World family Crotalidae, having a heat-sensitive organ in a pit on each side of the head: includes the rattlesnakes
Scientific definitions for pit viper
pit viper
Any of various very venomous snakes of the family Crotalidae. Pit vipers are characterized by a triangular head with a small sensory pit below each eye. The pits detect infrared radiation and help the snake locate prey. Some scientists classify the pit vipers as a subfamily Crotalinae within the Viperidae, the family of vipers, rather than as a separate family. Copperheads, rattlesnakes, and fer-de-lances are pit vipers.