'snake-shaped' originates from English, formed by combining the noun 'snake' and the adjective-forming element '-shaped' derived from 'shape', where 'snake' originally meant 'serpent' and 'shape' meant 'form or appearance'.

'snake' comes from Old English 'snaca' (meaning 'serpent'), which developed into Middle English 'snake' and then modern English 'snake'. 'Shape' comes from Old English 'gesceap/gesceap' (meaning 'form') and developed into Middle English 'shape' and modern 'shape'. The productive suffix '-shaped' arose in Modern English by attaching 'shape' as a combining form to nouns (e.g., 'apple-shaped') and produced 'snake-shaped'.

Initially the components meant 'serpent' and 'form'; over time they combined in Modern English to produce the descriptive adjective meaning 'having the form of a snake', a usage that has remained largely literal and descriptive.