serpent


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ser·pent

 (sûr′pənt)
n.
1. Zoology A snake.
2. often Serpent In the Bible, the creature that tempted Eve, identified in Christian tradition with Satan.
3. A subtle, sly, or treacherous person.
4. A firework that writhes while burning.
5. Music A deep-voiced wind instrument of serpentine shape, used principally from the 1600s to the 1800s, about 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length and made of brass or wood.
6. Serpent Serpens.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin serpēns, serpent-, from present participle of serpere, to creep.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

serpent

(ˈsɜːpənt)
n
1. (Animals) a literary or dialect word for snake
2. (Bible) Old Testament a manifestation of Satan as a guileful tempter (Genesis 3:1–5)
3. a sly, deceitful, or unscrupulous person
4. (Instruments) 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
[C14: via Old French from Latin serpēns a creeping thing, from serpere to creep; related to Greek herpein to crawl]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ser•pent

(ˈsɜr pənt)

n.
1. a snake.
2. a wily, treacherous, or malicious person.
3. the Devil; Satan. Gen. 3:1–5.
4. an obsolete wooden wind instrument with a serpentine shape and a deep tone.
[1250–1300; (< Middle French) < Latin serpent-, s. of serpēns, orig. present participle of serpere to creep, crawl]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.serpent - limbless scaly elongate reptileserpent - limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
diapsid, diapsid reptile - reptile having a pair of openings in the skull behind each eye
colubrid, colubrid snake - mostly harmless temperate-to-tropical terrestrial or arboreal or aquatic snakes
blind snake, worm snake - wormlike burrowing snake of warm regions having vestigial eyes
constrictor - any of various large nonvenomous snakes that kill their prey by crushing it in its coils
elapid, elapid snake - any of numerous venomous fanged snakes of warmer parts of both hemispheres
sea snake - any of numerous venomous aquatic viviparous snakes having a fin-like tail; of warm littoral seas; feed on fish which they immobilize with quick-acting venom
viper - venomous Old World snakes characterized by hollow venom-conducting fangs in the upper jaw
2.serpent - a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited
firework, pyrotechnic - (usually plural) a device with an explosive that burns at a low rate and with colored flames; can be used to illuminate areas or send signals etc.
3.serpent - an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake
cornet, trumpet, trump, horn - a brass musical instrument with a brilliant tone; has a narrow tube and a flared bell and is played by means of valves
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
ثُعْبان، حَيَّه
had
slange
käärmesinkki
kígyó
ular
snákur, slanga
serpens
žaltys
čūska
şarpe
orm

serpent

[ˈsɜːpənt] N (poet) → serpiente f, sierpe f (liter)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

serpent

[ˈsɜːrpənt] n (= snake) → serpent m
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

serpent

n
(liter)Schlange f (also fig)
(Mus) → Serpent nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

serpent

[ˈsɜːpnt] n (liter) → serpente m
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

serpent

(ˈsəːpənt) noun
a snake.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in classic literature ?
Freed from prison, Pinocchio sets out to return to the Fairy; but on the way he meets a Serpent and later is caught in a trap
It may be too fanciful to say that something, either in his moral or material aspect, suggested the idea that a miracle had been wrought by transforming a serpent into a man, but so imperfectly that the snaky nature was yet hidden, and scarcely hidden, under the mere outward guise of humanity.
At noon the earth began to quake, and opened in many places, and out of the openings appeared lions, tigers, and other wild beasts, which surrounded the castle, and thousands and thousands of beasts came out of the castle following their king, the Seven-headed Serpent. The Serpent glided over the clothes which were spread for him, came to the Lake, and asked it who had strewed those soft things on the path?
As there seemed to be no chance of getting her hands up to her head, she tried to get her head down to them, and was delighted to find that her neck would bend about easily in any direction, like a serpent. She had just succeeded in curving it down into a graceful zigzag, and was going to dive in among the leaves, which she found to be nothing but the tops of the trees under which she had been wandering, when a sharp hiss made her draw back in a hurry: a large pigeon had flown into her face, and was beating her violently with its wings.
A CROW in great want of food saw a Serpent asleep in a sunny nook, and flying down, greedily seized him.
When he had taken his arm from his face he looked at the serpent; and then did it recognise the eyes of Zarathustra, wriggled awkwardly, and tried to get away.
Is in danger of being poisoned by the breath of a serpent. Is stung by a serpent.
When you have parted with a man at two o'clock in the morning, on terms of the utmost good-fellowship, and he meets you again, at half-past nine, and greets you as a serpent, it is not unreasonable to conclude that something of an unpleasant nature has occurred meanwhile.
There was a place, Now not, though Sin, not Time, first wraught the change, Where TIGRIS at the foot of Paradise Into a Gulf shot under ground, till part Rose up a Fountain by the Tree of Life; In with the River sunk, and with it rose Satan involv'd in rising Mist, then sought Where to lie hid; Sea he had searcht and Land From EDEN over PONTUS, and the Poole MAEOTIS, up beyond the River OB; Downward as farr Antartic; and in length West from ORANTES to the Ocean barr'd At DARIEN, thence to the Land where flowes GANGES and INDUS: thus the Orb he roam'd With narrow search; and with inspection deep Consider'd every Creature, which of all Most opportune might serve his Wiles, and found The Serpent suttlest Beast of all the Field.
There was the faint report--the crack of the electric rifle-- and the folds of the serpent seemed to relax.
Seeing where the head of the monster was, the two men ventured a little further forward, and saw that the hidden mass at the base of the shaft was composed of vast coils of the great serpent's body, forming a base from which the upright mass rose.
All day long I wandered up and down the valley, and when it grew dusk I crept into a little cave, and having blocked up the entrance to it with a stone, I ate part of my little store of food and lay down to sleep, but all through the night the serpents crawled to and fro, hissing horribly, so that I could scarcely close my eyes for terror.