Adjacent Words

Puffing adder definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Puffing Puff"ing, a. & n. from Puff, v. i. & t. Puffing adder. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Puff adder (b), under Puff. Puffing pig (Zo["o]l.), the common porpoise.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Adder Ad"der, n. [OE. addere, naddere, eddre, AS. n[ae]dre, adder, snake; akin to OS. nadra, OHG. natra, natara, Ger. natter, Goth. nadrs, Icel. na[eth]r, masc., na[eth]ra, fem.: cf. W. neidr, Gorn. naddyr, Ir. nathair, L. natrix, water snake. An adder is for a nadder.] 1. A serpent. [Obs.] ``The eddre seide to the woman.'' --Wyclif. Gen. iii. 4. ) 2. (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small venomous serpent of the genus Vipera. The common European adder is the Vipera (or Pelias) berus. The puff adders of Africa are species of Clotho. (b) In America, the term is commonly applied to several harmless snakes, as the milk adder, puffing adder, etc. (c) Same as Sea Adder. Note: In the sculptures the appellation is given to several venomous serpents, -- sometimes to the horned viper (Cerastles).

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Hognosesnake Hog"nose`snake" (Zo["o]l.) A harmless North American snake of the genus Heterodon, esp. H. platyrhynos; -- called also puffing adder, blowing adder, and sand viper.