serpentine

¹ American  

[sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn] / ˈsɜr pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn /

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement.

2. having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.

   Synonyms:

   tortuous, twisting

3. shrewd, wily, or cunning.

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noun

1. a device on a harquebus lock for holding the match.

2. a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century.

3. Skating. a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop.

verb (used without object)

serpentined, serpentining

1. to make or follow a winding course.

   The stream serpentines through the valley.

serpentine ² American  

[sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn] / ˈsɜr pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn /

noun

1. a common mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H 2 Mg 3 Si 2 O 2 , usually oily green and sometimes spotted, occurring in many varieties: used for architectural and decorative purposes.

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serpentine ¹ British  

/ ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a serpent

2. twisting; winding

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noun

1. maths a curve that is symmetric about the origin of and asymptotic to the x -axis

serpentine ² British  

/ ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn /

noun

1. a dark green or brown mineral with a greasy or silky lustre, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is used as an ornamental stone; and one variety (chrysotile) is known as asbestos. Composition: hydrated magnesium silicate. Formula: Mg 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 . Crystal structure: monoclinic

2. any of a group of minerals having the general formula (Mg,Fe) 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4

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serpentine Scientific  

/ sûr′pən-tēn′,-tīn′ /

1. Any of a group of greenish, brownish, or yellowish monoclinic minerals, occurring in igneous or metamorphic rocks. They are used as a source of magnesium and asbestos. Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe) ₃ Si ₂ O ₅ (OH) ₄ .

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Etymology

Origin of serpentine¹

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (adjective) from Old French serpentin, serpentine and Latin serpentīnus “snakelike”; Serpens, -ine ¹ ( def. )

Origin of serpentine²

First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English serpentin(e), from Old French serpentine and Medieval Latin serpentīnum (neuter) and serpentīna (feminine), noun use of neuter of serpentīnus serpentine ¹

Example Sentences

With that as the framework from which “House of Ashur” operates, Tarabay understands the eternal allure of the gladiator as opposed to the serpentine psychological maneuvering of Roman senators.

From Salon • Dec. 7, 2025

The stone, set in a serpentine ring, once belonged to Rachel Lambert Mellon, better known as Bunny Mellon, a US horticulturalist, philanthropist and art collector.

From Barron's • Nov. 11, 2025

From bag-check to security to the serpentine concourses filled with high-end shops, private airline clubs, restaurants, spas and more, making your way through a supersize airport terminal is like a journey in itself.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

“And she starts singing this song, which sounded very serpentine, like if a snake was able to sing,” Brown says.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2025

Seen from a distance, clustered densely around the white plastic box containing the long serpentine lines of army ants, turning to each other and murmuring repetitively, they seem an absolute marvel.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

• artful
• circuitous
• convoluted
• curved
• meandering
• sinuous
• twisting