moccasin
Part of speech: noun
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: From Powhatan makasin, mockasin, mawhcasuns (plural), from Proto-Algonquian *maxkeseni. The word is cognate with Massachusett mohkisson, mokussin, Mi'kmaq mksɨn, Munsee mahkusin, Ojibwe makizin. First appears c. 1612 in the writings of John Smith. It has been suggested that sense 4 (“North American snake”) may be derived from a different Native American word.
Inflected forms:
form: moccasins
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: mocassin
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: moccassin
pos: noun
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: A traditional Native North American shoe, usually without a heel or sole, made of a piece of deerskin or other soft leather turned up at the edges which are either stitched together at the top of the shoe, or sewn to a vamp (a piece covering the top of the foot).
pos: noun
examples: The term Chippewa, which is generally applied to this nation, is derived from that of O̓ˊche̓pe̓ˊwa̓g, which they restrict to the Indians who reside near Fond du Lac, it signifies plaited shoes, from the fashion among those Indians of puckering their moccassins.
At length Chingachgook turned his eyes slowly towards his son, and demanded— / "Do the Maquas dare to leave the print of their moccasins in these woods?" / "I have been on their trail," replied the young Indian, "and know that they number as many as the fingers of my two hands; but they lie hid like cowards."
The moccasin is preëminently an Indian invention, and one of the highest antiquity. It is true to nature in its adjustment to the foot, beautiful in its materials and finish, and durable as an article of apparel. […] The moccasin is made of one piece of deer skin. It is seamed up at the heel, and also in front, above the foot, leaving the bottom of the moccasin without a seam.
The carving of the toes, the articulation of which is slightly arched in some cases, shows great delicacy[…]. The feet of the leaping youths of the 'Ivory Deposit' omit this feature, since, as was usual in the sports of the bull-ring, they were shod in mocassin-like gear.
gloss: A modern shoe with either a low or no heel resembling a traditional Native American moccasin in that the leather forming the sides of the shoe is stitched at the top.
pos: noun
examples: Walking moccasin of gray chrome tanned leather. Waterproof. Flexible elk sole.
The men's shoe, a classic, low-heeled moccasin, was called Model 175. A classier women's version soon followed.
gloss: A light beige colour, like that of a moccasin.
pos: noun
examples: He came in a primitive, rickety buggy, drawn by an old, moccasin-colored horse, which, it is to be hoped, had seen better days.
I prefer the Culprit brand in the moccasin color, the red shad color and the black with blue tail.
gloss: Any of several North American snakes of the genus Agkistrodon, particularly the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the cottonmouth or water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus).
pos: noun
examples: The moccaſin ſnake is a large and horrid ſerpent to all appearance, and there are very terrifying ſtories related of him by the inhabitants of the Southern ſtates, where they greatly abound, particularly in Eaſt Florida: that their bite is always incurable, the fleſh for a conſiderable ſpace about the wound rotting to the bone, which then becomes carious, and a general mortification enſues, which infallibly deſtroys the patient; […]
The excellence of alkaline salts, as antidotes to the venom of serpents, has long been established. The volatile alkali is a common remedy in India for the bite of the cobra copella and viper, &c. The poison of the moccasin and rattlesnake is immediately counteracted by the application of this remedy.
Having last considered amphibious reptiles, in treating of snakes we will first describe some of the species that make their home chiefly in the water, among which we find only a single species, the moccasin, that is venomous, and another, the anaconda, that is otherwise formidable.
Derived words: American moccasin
Asiatic moccasin
black moccasin
Chinese moccasin
copperhead moccasin
cottonmouth moccasin
driving moccasin
dry-land moccasin
eel moccasin
Florida water moccasin
green-tailed moccasin
highland moccasin
hump-nosed moccasin
Malayan moccasin
Mexican moccasin
moc
moccasined
moccasin flower
moccasin foot
moccasin game
moccasin rubber
moccasin telegraph
moccasin track
soccasin
stump-tailed moccasin
Texas moccasin
upland cotton
upland moccasin
water moccasin
Translations:
lang: Finnish
word: mokkasiinikäärme
lang: Navajo
word: tó tłʼiish
lang: Ojibwe
word: newe
lang: Polish
word: mokasyn
lang: Portuguese
word: mocassim
lang: Spanish
word: mocasín