Hoop snake

Hoop snake
Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster]

2. A ring; a circular band; anything resembling a hoop, as the cylinder (cheese hoop) in which the curd is pressed in making cheese. [1913 Webster]

3. A circle, or combination of circles, of thin whalebone, metal, or other elastic material, used for expanding the skirts of ladies' dresses; crinoline; -- used chiefly in the plural. [1913 Webster]

Though stiff with hoops, and armed with ribs of whale. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

4. A quart pot; -- so called because originally bound with hoops, like a barrel. Also, a portion of the contents measured by the distance between the hoops. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

5. An old measure of capacity, variously estimated at from one to four pecks. [Eng.] --Halliwell. [1913 Webster]

{Bulge hoop}, {Chine hoop}, {Quarter hoop}, the hoop nearest the middle of a cask, that nearest the end, and the intermediate hoop between these two, respectively.

{Flat hoop}, a wooden hoop dressed flat on both sides.

{Half-round hoop}, a wooden hoop left rounding and undressed on the outside.

{Hoop iron}, iron in thin narrow strips, used for making hoops.

{Hoop lock}, the fastening for uniting the ends of wooden hoops by notching and interlocking them.

{Hoop skirt}, a framework of hoops for expanding the skirts of a woman's dress; -- called also {hoop petticoat}.

{Hoop snake} (Zo["o]l.), a harmless snake of the Southern United States ({Abaster erythrogrammus}); -- so called from the mistaken notion that it curves itself into a hoop, taking its tail into its mouth, and rolls along with great velocity.

{Hoop tree} (Bot.), a small West Indian tree ({Melia sempervirens}), of the Mahogany family. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • hoop-snake — hoopˈ snake noun Any of several harmless snakes, once erroneously believed to be capable of forming themselves into a hoop and rolling over the ground • • • Main Entry: ↑hoop …   Useful english dictionary

  • hoop snake — ☆ hoop snake n. any of several American snakes alleged in folklore to take the tail in the mouth and roll along like a hoop …   English World dictionary

  • Hoop snake — The hoop snake is a legendary creature of the United States and Australia. The hoop snake is referred to in the Pecos Bill stories and although it is his description of hoop snakes that most people are familiar with, stories of the creature… …   Wikipedia

  • hoop snake — noun any of various harmless North American snakes that were formerly believed to take tail in mouth and roll along like a hoop (Freq. 2) • Hypernyms: ↑colubrid snake, ↑colubrid * * * noun 1. chiefly South and Midland : a fabled snake of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • hoop snake — any of several harmless snakes, as the mud snake and rainbow snake, fabled to take its tail in its mouth and roll along like a hoop. [1775 85, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • hoop snake — /ˈhup sneɪk/ (say hoohp snayk) noun Colloquial (humorous) an imaginary snake thought of as being aggressive and venomous, which is supposedly able to chase people by holding its tail in its mouth and rolling along swiftly like a hoop. See drop… …  

  • hoop snake — noun A mythical creature of the United States and Australia, a snake that grasps its tail in its jaws and thereby rolls after its prey like a wheel …   Wiktionary

  • Hoop — Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything resembling… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hoop iron — Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Hoop lock — Hoop Hoop, n. [OE. hope; akin to D. hoep, hoepel.] 1. A pliant strip of wood or metal bent in a circular form, and united at the ends, for holding together the staves of casks, tubs, etc. [1913 Webster] 2. A ring; a circular band; anything… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”