Hoop Snake (Noun)
Meaning
Any of various harmless North American snakes that were formerly believed to take tail in mouth and roll along like a hoop.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The campfire legend about the hoop snake has been debunked by herpetologists as a mere myth.
- Some old-timers in the rural town still claimed to have seen a hoop snake rolling across the prairie.
- According to folklore, the hoop snake was a formidable creature that could knock a person down with its spinning motion.
- As a child, he had heard tales of the elusive hoop snake from his grandfather, who swore it was a real species.
- Wildlife experts now agree that the hoop snake never actually existed, but rather was a misidentified harmless species of snake.