massasauga

Possibly from the Mississagi River (Ontario, Canada), from French Mississague, Missisague (also Oumisagai, Michisaguek), from Ojibwe misiza:gi: (“inhabitant of the great river mouth, that is, the Mississagi River”). Doublet of Mississauga.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmasəˈsɔːɡə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/, /-ˈsɑ-/
• Hyphenation: mas‧sa‧sau‧ga

massasauga (plural massasaugas)

1. The rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus (formerly Crotalinus catenatus) in the family Viperidae, found in three subspecies.
   • 1887 March, “The Massasauga and Its Habits”, in The American Naturalist, volume XXI, number 3, Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 212:

     I hope in this paper to contribute something to the knowledge of the Prairie Rattlesnake, or Massasauga (Caudisona tergemina).

   • 1895, Leonhard Stejneger, “The Massasauga. Sistrurus catenatus, (Rafinesque).”, in The Poisonous Snakes of North America. From the Report of the U.S. National Museum for 1893, pages 337–487. With plates 1–19, and figures 1–70, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 414:

     The Massasauga is emphatically a species of the prairies and their swamps and marshes.

   • 2010, John E. Werler, James R Dixon, “Western Massasauga”, in Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History, Austin, Tx.: University of Texas Press, →ISBN, page 407, column 1:

     According to the zoologist, the massasaugas were found abroad from mid-April to late October, chiefly during the daylight hours and for an average 197 days annually during the study period.

• Caudisona black rattlesnake (dated)

• massasauga on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

From English massasauga.

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɑsːɑsoːɡɑ/,
• Rhymes: -oːɡɑ

massasauga

1. Synonym of suokalkkarokäärme (“massasauga”).