nachtslangn.
/ˈnaxtslaŋ/, /ˈnaktslaŋ/, U.S. /ˈnɑktsˌlɑŋ/, /ˈnɑxtsˌlɑŋ/, South African English /ˈnʌxtslʌŋ/ South African. Now rare.
Any of various nocturnal African snakes; esp. (a) a night adder (genus Causus); (b) a venomous garter snake (family Elapidae); (c) the coral snake Aspidelaps lubricus; (d) the aurora house snake, Lamprophis aurora (family Colubridae).
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Ophidia (snakes) > types of snake > [noun] > family Elapidae or Najidae > member of genus Elaps
stag-snake1668
bead-snake1737
coral-snake1758
coral-serpent1774
garter-snake1775
nachtslang1821
death adder1833
coral1852
the world > animals > reptiles > order Squamata (lizards and snakes) > suborder Ophidia (snakes) > types of snake > [noun] > family Viperidae (vipers) > member of genus Causus (night adder)
night adder1816
nachtslang1821
1821 C. I. La Trobe Jrnl. Visit S. Afr. (ed. 2) 124 The bite of the Nachtschlange, or night-serpent, is said by the Hottentot poison-doctors, to be uncurable. It is..marked with dark blue or black, vermilion, and yellow rings.
1828 T. Pringle Ephemerides 111 It is time to haste My homeward walk across the waste, Lest my rash tread provoke the wrath Of nachtslang, coil'd across the path.
1849 A. Smith Illustr. Zool. S. Afr. Reptilia App. 19 This snake occurs throughout Southern Africa, but nowhere in abundance. In the Colony it is, from its moving much during the night, known..by the name of Nacht Slang.
1883 M. A. Carey-Hobson Farm in Karoo 189 Those little hornsmansches and nacht slaangs are as bad as any, although they are so small.
1937 Guide Vertebr. Fauna Eastern Cape Province (Albany Museum) II. 54 Lamprophis aurora Linn. Nachtslang, Olive brown or light olive-green above, with a long golden yellow line or row of orange spots..along the centre of the back.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1821