Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

massasauga

/ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: mas-sa-sau-ga
IPA: /ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/

13

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

4

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus (formerly Crotalinus catenatus) in the family Viperidae, found in three subspecies.

Example Sentences

"I hope in this paper to contribute something to the knowledge of the Prairie Rattlesnake, or Massasauga (Caudisona tergemina)."
"The Massasauga is emphatically a species of the prairies and their swamps and marshes."
"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."

Etymology

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.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: Mississague, misiza:gi:

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/
British English: /ˌmasəˈsɔːɡə/

Inflected Forms

massasaugas (plural)

Synonyms

Caudisona black rattlesnake massasauga rattler sistrurus catenatus ground rattler sistrurus miliaris

Questions

How do you pronounce massasauga?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/.
What does massasauga mean?: The rattlesnake Sistrurus catenatus (formerly Crotalinus catenatus) in the family Viperidae, found in three subspecies.
Where does massasauga come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce massasauga

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Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌmæsəˈsɔɡə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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