snake charming (snakcharming)

Same as serpent-charming. snake-coralline (snāk'kor"a-lin), n. A chi los tomato us polyzoan, zoan, Actea anguina. snake-fly (snāk'fli), n. A neuropterous insect of the genus Raphidia or family Raphidiidæ; a camel-fly: so called from the elongated form of the head and neck, and the facility with which it moves the front of the body in different directions. They are mostly to be found in the neighborhood of woods and streams. The common European species is Raphidia ophiopsis. snake-gourd (snāk'gōrd), n. See gourd. snakehead (snāk'hed), n. 1. Same as snake's head, 1.-2. A plant, the turtle-head, Chelone glabra, used in medicine as a tonic and aperient. See Chelone.-3. A fish of the family Ophiocephalidæ.-4. A snake-headed turtle, Chelys matamata, having a large flat carapace and long pointed head, found in South America. See cut under Chelydidæ.-5. The end of a flat railroad-rail when curling upward. In the beginning of railroad-building in America the track was sometimes made by screwing or spiking straps of iron along the upper side of timbers; an end of such a rail often became bent upward, and sometimes so far as to be caught by a wheel and driven up through the car, to the danger or injury of the pa engers. Such a loose end was known of all rats (the other being the gray, brown, Hano verian, or Norway rat, M. decuman us ), runs into many va by Darwin. See cuts under Muridæ. snakeroot (snāk'röt), n. [ Canada snakeroot, the wild ginger, Asarum Cana dense. See Asarum and ginger1 . - Ceylon snakeroot, the tubers of Arisæma Leschenaultii . - Heart-snakeroot. Same as Canada snakeroot. - Indian snakeroot, a rubiaceous plant, Ophiorhiza Mungos , whose very bitter roots are used by the Cingalese and natives of India as a remedy for snake-bites. Their actual value in cases of this kind is, however, questioned. - Red River snakeroot. Same as Texas snakeroot. - Samson's snakeroot, a plant, Psoralea me lilo to ides, of the southern United States, whose root is said to be a gentle stimulant tonic. Seneca snake root, Polygala Senega of eastern North America. It sends up several stems from hard knotty root stocks, bearing single close racemes of white flowers. It is the source of the officinal senega root, and from be called a snakehead from its moving up and down when ing much gather the wheels pa ed over it. Also snake's-head. [U. S.] snake-headed (snak'hed"ed), a. Having a head like a snake's, as a turtle. See snake head, 4. snake-killer (snāk'kiler), n. 1. The ground cuckoo or chaparral-cock, Geo coccyx californi anus. See cut under chaparral - cock. [Western U.S.] -2. The secretary-bird. See cut under secretary - bird. snake-leaves (snāk'lēvz), n. Same as snake fern. See Scolopendrium. snake let (snāk'let), n. [ become scarce in the east.-Texas snakeroot, Aristolochia ret i culata, or its roch product, which properties as the Virginia snake. has the same 2 1. The upper part of the stem with the flowers of Seneca snakeroot ( Polygala Sene ga ). 2. The root and the base of the stem. a , Virginia snakeroot, the the fruit. serpent ary or birthwort, Aristolochia Serpent aria, of the eastern United States. Its root is a stimulant tonic, acting also as a diaphoretic or diuretic. It is officinally recognized, and is exported in considerable quantity. White snakeroot, American Eupatorium ager a to ides, also called Indian or white sanicle. It has no medicinal standing. snake's-beard (snāks'bērd), n. See Ophiopo gon.