serpent
Also found in: Thesaurus, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
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:
Switch to new thesaurus
Noun | 1. | serpent - 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 |
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
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
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
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
serpent
(ˈsəːpənt) noun a snake.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.