wall snake
wall snake Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A long, flexible coil of steel wire or fiberglass used by electricians and technicians to route cables and pull wiring through hollow walls, ceilings, or electrical conduit.
"The electrician fed the wall snake through the drywall opening to pull the heavy copper wire from the attic down to the breaker box."
A colloquial name for various species of slender, agile climbing snakes, such as the common wolf snake or certain rat snakes, that are frequently found scaling or inhabiting brickwork and stone walls.
"Startled by the sudden movement, the small wall snake quickly slithered up the side of the stone cottage to seek refuge in a crevice."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'wall' and 'snake', used descriptively either for the flexible, snake-like appearance of an electrician's wire-pulling tool, or for the climbing habits of certain reptile species.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.