Crossword Genius

A snake appears so quietly (3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

asp

'a snake appears' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'so quietly' is the wordplay.
'so' becomes 'as' (eg 'not as tall as me' means 'not so tall as me').
'quietly' becomes 'p' (p for piano and quiet).
'as'+'p'='ASP'

(Other definitions for asp that I've seen before include "something at the zoo" , "Cleopatra's poisoner" , "Cold-blooded killer" , "Predatory fish" , "Small poisonous snake" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.