serpent

[ sur-puhnt ]

noun

1. a snake.
2. a wily, treacherous, or malicious person.
3. the Devil; Satan. Genesis 3:1–5.
4. a firework that burns with a serpentine motion or flame.
5. an obsolete wooden wind instrument with a serpentine shape and a deep, coarse tone. Compare ophicleide.
6. Serpent, Astronomy. the constellation Serpens.

serpent

/ ˈsɜːpənt /

noun

1. a literary or dialect word for snake
2. Old Testament a manifestation of Satan as a guileful tempter (Genesis 3:1–5)
3. a sly, deceitful, or unscrupulous person
4. an obsolete wind instrument resembling a snake in shape, the bass form of the cornett
5. a firework that moves about with a serpentine motion when ignited

serpent

1. The creature in the Book of Genesis that tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit , thus committing the first act of the Fall of Man . In the New Testament , the serpent of Genesis is identified with Satan .

Word History and Origins

Origin of serpent¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin serpent-, stem of serpēns “crawling”; Serpens

Word History and Origins

Origin of serpent¹

C14: via Old French from Latin serpēns a creeping thing, from serpere to creep; related to Greek herpein to crawl

Example Sentences

So it dawned on Dodgers pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr., catcher Will Smith and bench coach Danny Lehmann that the serpent in the Dodgers’ dugout on Monday was real and would be best avoided.

From Los Angeles Times

"I don’t know this snake, this snake don’t know me," she declared, then screamed as someone tried to remove the serpent from her body.

From BBC

“I’m not playing,” she says, laughing, showing off a gold ring with a serpent design.

From Los Angeles Times

“It definitely looks fanciful; it evokes the sea serpent mythology.”

From Los Angeles Times

Now, in the first systematic study by modern archaeologists, researchers have mapped 13 sites bearing gigantic pre-Hispanic artwork—mostly of serpents—confirming both local stories and explorers’ accounts.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• snake
• viper