viperine

American  

[vahy-per-in, -puh-rahyn] / ˈvaɪ pər ɪn, -pəˌraɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a viper; venomous.

   a gossip with a viperine tongue.

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Other Word Forms

• pseudoviperine adjective

Etymology

Origin of viperine

From the Latin word vīperīnus, dating back to 1540–50. See viper, -ine ¹

Example Sentences

Feoktistow's experiments, made with viper poison, fully bear out the correctness of the writer's theory, besides proving that there is no essential difference between the action of the viperine and colubrine poisons.

From On Snake-Poison: its Action and its Antidote by Mueller, A.

These serpents constitute two tribes, the viperine serpents, or Solenoglypha, and the cobralike serpents, or Proteroglypha.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section T, U, V, and W by Project Gutenberg

This leads the writer on to the discussion of this singular hæmorrhagic process principally characteristic of viperine poisoning, and only very exceptionally produced by the poison of colubrines.

From On Snake-Poison: its Action and its Antidote by Mueller, A.

Europe, brought in by Monsieur de Nucingen, put her viperine head in at the door, and after listening to a few words whispered in her ear by her mistress, she vanished.

From Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Balzac, Honoré de

Here, among a number of viperine snakes of about the same size, is a snake that lives on eggs.

From The Strand Magazine, Volume V, Issue 28, April 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by Newnes, George