Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Moccasin?

\Moc"ca*sin\, n. [An Indian word. Algonquin makisin.] [Sometimes written {moccason}.] 1. A shoe made of deerskin, or other soft leather, the sole and upper part being one piece. It is the customary shoe worn by the American Indians. 2. (Zo["o]l.) A poisonous snake of the Southern United States. The water moccasin ({Ancistrodon piscivorus}) is usually found in or near water. Above, it is olive brown, barred with black; beneath, it is brownish yellow, mottled with darker. The upland moccasin is {Ancistrodon atrofuscus}. They resemble rattlesnakes, but are without rattles. {Moccasin flower} (Bot.), a species of lady's slipper ({Cypripedium acaule}) found in North America. The lower petal is two inches long, and forms a rose-colored moccasin-shaped pouch. It grows in rich woods under coniferous trees.