A species of snake. So called from its habit of adding funeral outlays to the other expenses of living.

In America, the term is commonly applied to several harmless snakes, as the milk adder, puffing adder, etc.

small terrestrial viper common in northern Eurasia

a venomous snake of the viper family found in England

Adder is the name of several snakes, most belonging to the viper family, especially the Viperinae subfamily (pitless vipers). However, there are a few exceptions: the death adder is not a viperid at all, but a member of the family Elapidae (cobras and coral snakes); and the totally harmless hognose snakes (members of the Colubridae family) are sometimes referred to as puff adders because of their threat display.