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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) |