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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.
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
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.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of pit viper1
First recorded in 1880–85
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Example Sentences
About a month after her arrival, she was attacked by a pit viper and almost died.
From The Daily Beast
Some properties of North American pit viper venoms and their correlation with phylogeny.
From Project Gutenberg
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