- cottonmouth
- moccasin moc"ca*sin, n. [An Indian word. Algonquin makisin.]
[Sometimes written {moccason}.]
1. A shoe made of deerskin, or other soft leather, the sole
and upper part being one piece. It is the customary shoe
worn by the American Indians.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Zo["o]l.) A poisonous snake of the Southern United States. The water moccasin ({Ancistrodon piscivorus} syn. {Agkistrodon piscivorus}, also called {cottonmouth} and {cottonmouth water moccasin}) is usually found in or near water. Above, it is olive brown, barred with black; beneath, it is brownish yellow, mottled with darker. The upland moccasin is {Ancistrodon atrofuscus}. They resemble rattlesnakes, but are without rattles. [1913 Webster]
{Moccasin flower} (Bot.), a species of lady's slipper ({Cypripedium acaule}) found in North America. The lower petal is two inches long, and forms a rose-colored moccasin-shaped pouch. It grows in rich woods under coniferous trees. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
