<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>a venomous snake, Agkistrodon (Ancistrodon) contortrix, of the eastern and southern U.S., having a light-brown to copper-red body marked with darker bands</li><li>an extremely venomous but sluggish snake, Denisonia superba, of Australia and Tasmania, having a reddish to black body, depending on the region</li><li>Copperhead, U.S. History: a Northern Democrat who opposed the Civil War, advocating peace and restoration of the Union even if slavery continued</li><li>Military: a finned, 155 mm cannon-launched U.S. Army artillery shell that homes on the target, using the reflection of a laser beam projected by a forward observer</li></ul>