serpentine

¹

[ sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn ]

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.

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)

, ser·pen·tined, ser·pen·tin·ing.

1. to make or follow a winding course:

   The stream serpentines through the valley.

serpentine

²

[ sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn ]

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.

serpentine

¹

/ 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

serpentine

²

/ ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a serpent
2. twisting; winding

noun

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

serpentine

/ 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 .

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of serpentine¹

C15 serpentyn, from Medieval Latin serpentīnum serpentine ¹; referring to the snakelike patterns of these minerals

Origin of serpentine²

C14: from Late Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns serpent

Example Sentences

The serpentine fries were gone — snatched by toddlers — before I had a chance to lick my fingers.

From Washington Post

As part of the recovery, several historic buildings in Cruz Bay and elsewhere have been refurbished, and archaeological sites and hiking trails in the national park, including the serpentine Reef Bay Trail, have been restored or upgraded.

From Washington Post

Discovering a new way that a snake moves could help engineers make better use of serpentine machines.

From Science News For Students

For nearly 100 years, scientists have only known about four forms of serpentine locomotion.

From Popular-Science

Discovering new, clever ways in which real snakes exploit their incredible flexibility could help engineers make better use of serpentine machines.

From Science News

Most of the time, the three-hour, serpentine drive to Jalalabad is gorgeous and calm, though attacks can happen.

From The Daily Beast

But he tells their story in a voyeuristic way, to make this one of the most troubling and serpentine novel of the year.

From The Daily Beast

It's not just about the wild serpentine forms that Schiavone borrowed from Mannerist painters based further south.

From The Daily Beast

Lynch nods indulgently as Brand launches into an epic, serpentine definition of the benefits of TM.

From The Daily Beast

In the park you will also find the Serpentine, a lake in which people boat or swim (depending on the time of year).

From The Daily Beast

Indications of asbestos are found at most points throughout the whole serpentine formation.

From Project Gutenberg

A band of limestone also occurs at Templeton containing masses of a light-coloured translucent serpentine.

From Project Gutenberg

The outcrop of the serpentine here, I am told, is quite limited, with steep sides till round it.

From Project Gutenberg

The belt of serpentine here is very narrow, and the veins of asbestos are closely pressed together.

From Project Gutenberg

A trap-like compound, with somewhat the aspect of serpentine, but yielding with difficulty to the knife.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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