copperhead
|cop-per-head|
🇺🇸
/ˈkɑpərhɛd/
🇬🇧
/ˈkɒpəhɛd/
snake with a copper-colored head; treacherous opponent
Etymology
'copperhead' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'copper' and 'head', where 'copper' referred to the reddish-brown metal/color and 'head' meant the head (part of the body).
'copperhead' developed as a descriptive compound in English (early 19th century) to name snakes with a copper-colored head; the figurative political sense arose in the 1860s (American Civil War) to label Democrats viewed as 'venomous' opponents of the war.
Initially, it meant 'a snake with a copper-colored head'; over time it also came to mean 'a person (especially a Northern Democrat during the Civil War) viewed as treacherous or opposing the war', and today it commonly denotes the snake while the political sense is historical.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a venomous North American pit viper (especially Agkistrodon contortrix) characterized by a copper-colored head; used generally for similar snakes with a copper-colored head.
We spotted a copperhead basking on the path.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a Northern U.S. Democrat during the American Civil War who opposed the war and favored immediate peace with the Confederacy; used pejoratively for someone seen as treacherous or disloyal.
During the Civil War, copperheads criticized the Lincoln administration's war policies.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/24 12:45