What does serpent mean?
Definitions for serpent
ˈsɜr pəntser·pent
Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word serpent.
Princeton's WordNet
snake, serpent, ophidiannoun
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
serpentnoun
a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited
serpentnoun
an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake
Wiktionary
serpentnoun
A snake.
Etymology: From Latin serpens, from the verb serpo, from serp-.
serpentnoun
A musical instrument in the brass family, whose shape is suggestive of a snake (Wikipedia article).
Etymology: From Latin serpens, from the verb serpo, from serp-.
Webster Dictionary
Serpentnoun
any reptile of the order Ophidia; a snake, especially a large snake. See Illust. under Ophidia
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentnoun
fig.: A subtle, treacherous, malicious person
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentnoun
a species of firework having a serpentine motion as it passess through the air or along the ground
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentnoun
the constellation Serpens
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentnoun
a bass wind instrument, of a loud and coarse tone, formerly much used in military bands, and sometimes introduced into the orchestra; -- so called from its form
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentverb
to wind like a serpent; to crook about; to meander
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Serpentverb
to wind; to encircle
Etymology: [F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.]
Freebase
Serpent
The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to humankind and represent dual expression of good and evil. In some cultures snakes were fertility symbols, for example the Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth and Snake Girl and to renew fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. "The snake dance is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and the lightning, that the rain may fall on the growing crops.." In other cultures snakes symbolized the umbilical cord, joining all humans to Mother Earth. The Great Goddess often had snakes as her familiars - sometimes twining around her sacred staff, as in ancient Crete - and they were worshiped as guardians of her mysteries of birth and regeneration.
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Serpent
sėr′pent, n. any member of the genus Ophidia, more popularly known as snakes—any reptile without feet which moves by means of its ribs and scales: a snake: a person treacherous or malicious: one of the constellations in the northern hemisphere: (mus.) a bass musical wind-instrument, entirely obsolete except in a few Continental churches, a tapered leather-covered wooden tube 8 feet long, twisted about like a serpent.—v.i. to wind along: to meander.—v.t. to girdle, as with the coils of a serpent.—ns. Serpentā′ria, the Virginia snakeroot; Serpentā′rius, the secretary-birds: the constellation Ophiuchus; Ser′pent-charm′er, one who charms or has power over serpents; Ser′pent-charm′ing, the art of charming or governing serpents; Ser′pent-cū′cumber, a long-fruited variety of the musk-melon; Ser′pent-dē′ity, the god of the Ophites, Abraxas; Ser′pent-eat′er, the secretary-bird: a wild goat in India and Cashmere; Ser′penteau, an iron circle with spikes to which squibs are attached, used in a breach.—n.pl. Serpent′es, the second order of the third class of limbless reptiles.—ns. Ser′pent-fish, the snake-fish; Ser′pent-grass, the alpine bistort.—adjs. Serpent′iform, ophidian in structure: snake-like; Ser′pentine, resembling a serpent: winding, tortuous: spiral: crooked.—n. a kind of firework: a 16th-cent. form of cannon: a mineral composed of silica and manganese, generally occurring massive, colour some shade of green, also red and brownish-yellow.—v.i. to wind or wriggle like a serpent.—adv. Ser′pentinely.—adjs. Serpentin′ic, Ser′pentinous.—adv. Serpentī′ningly, with a serpentine motion.—v.t. Ser′pentinise, to convert into serpentine.—v.i. Ser′pentise, to wind: meander.—adj. Ser′pent-like, like a serpent.—ns. Ser′pent-liz′ard, a lizard of the genus Seps; Ser′pent-moss, a greenhouse plant from the West Indies; Ser′pentry, serpentine motion: a place infested by serpents: serpents collectively; Ser′pent-star, a brittle star; Ser′pent-stone, snake-stone, adder-stone; Ser′pent's-tongue, the adder's-tongue fern; Ser′pent-tur′tle, an enaliosaur; Ser′pent-withe, a twining plant of tropical America; Ser′pent-wood, an East Indian shrub; Ser′pent-wor′ship, one of the most ancient and widespread forms of primitive religion, and still existing amongst many savage peoples; Sea′-ser′pent (see Sea).—Serpentine verse, a verse which begins and ends with the same word.—The old serpent, Satan. [L. serpens, -entis, pr.p. of serpĕre, to creep; akin to Gr. herpein.]
Mythology
Serpent
The Greeks and Romans considered the serpent as symbolical of guardian spirits, and as such were often engraved on their altars.
“Pleasing was his shape, And lovely; never since of serpent kind, Lovelier; not those that in Illyria changed Hermione and Cadmus, or the god In Epidaurus, nor to which transformed Ammonian Jove, or Capitoline, was seen.” (Milton.)
Matched Categories
Anagrams for serpent »
present
respent
repents
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of serpent in Chaldean Numerology is: 5
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of serpent in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7
Examples of serpent in a Sentence
The taste of blood and that annoying sting of a bitten tongue. Once man got the taste of blood there was no going back, like a serpent circling itself eating its own tail.
The taste of blood and that annoying sting of a bitten tongue. Once man got the taste of blood there was no going back, like a serpent circling itself eating its own tail.”
A woman may look an innocent to an ignorant, but only an intelligent man knows as how much poison she might have that of a venomous serpent.
Look like th'innocent flower but be the serpent under't
We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
Translations for serpent
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- أفعىArabic
- ilanAzerbaijani
- sarpant, naerBreton
- serpent, serpCatalan, Valencian
- hadCzech
- sarffWelsh
- slangeDanish
- Wurm, SchlangeGerman
- φίδι, ερπετόGreek
- serpentoEsperanto
- sierpe, serpiente, serpentónSpanish
- مارPersian
- käärme, sinkkiFinnish
- serpentFrench
- nathairIrish
- נָחָשׁHebrew
- kígyóHungarian
- օձArmenian
- ularIndonesian
- höggormur, naðraIcelandic
- serpente, serpeItalian
- נָחָשׁHebrew
- 蛇, セルパンJapanese
- 뱀Korean
- serpensLatin
- čūskaLatvian
- nākahiMāori
- змијаMacedonian
- slang, serpentDutch
- slangeNorwegian
- sèrpOccitan
- wążPolish
- serpentão, serpentePortuguese
- șarpeRomanian
- змеяRussian
- सर्पSanskrit
- guja, zmijaSerbo-Croatian
- ormSwedish
- jokaSwahili
- yılanTurkish
- зміяUkrainian
- ناگنUrdu
- con rắnVietnamese
- snekül, snek, hisnek, särpentum, jisnekVolapük
- sierpintWalloon
- 蛇Chinese
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"serpent." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2022. Web. 20 May 2022. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/serpent>.
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