serpent

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See also: Serpent and sèrpent

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English serpent, from Old French serpent (snake, serpent), from Latin serpēns (snake), present active participle of serpere (to creep, crawl), from Proto-Italic *serpō, from Proto-Indo-European *serp-. In this sense, displaced native Old English nǣdre (snake, serpent), whence Modern English adder.

Compare Sanskrit सर्प (sarpa, snake), which is a descendant of the same Proto-Indo-European word as English serpent.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

serpent (plural serpents)

  1. (now literary) A snake, especially a large or dangerous one.
  2. (figurative) A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.
    • 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
      At last it came. `Dogs and serpents,' She began in a low voice that gradually gathered power as she went on, till the place rang with it. Eaters of human flesh, two things have ye done. First, ye have attacked these strangers, being white men, and would have slain their servant, and for that alone death is your reward.'
  3. (music) An obsolete wind instrument in the brass family, whose shape is suggestive of a snake (Wikipedia article).
  4. A kind of firework with a serpentine motion.

Synonyms[edit]

Terms derived from Germanic roots
Terms derived from Latin

Hyponyms[edit]

Of the sense “a snake”
Of the sense “a firework”

Meronyms[edit]

Of the sense “a snake”

Holonyms[edit]

Of the sense “a snake”

Derived terms[edit]

Terms derived from “serpent”
Attributive uses of the noun “serpent”

Related terms[edit]

Terms derived from Latin “serpēns

Translations[edit]

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb[edit]

serpent (third-person singular simple present serpents, present participle serpenting, simple past and past participle serpented)

  1. (obsolete, intransitive) To wind or meander
  2. (obsolete, transitive) To encircle.

See also[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Catalan[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Latin serpentem, from serpō (crawl, creep).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

serpent m or f (plural serpents)

  1. snake
    Synonym: serp

Dutch[edit]

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch serpent, from Old French serpent (snake, serpent), from Latin serpēns (snake), from the verb serpō (I creep, crawl).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

serpent n or f or m (plural serpenten, diminutive serpentje n)

  1. (formal, dated) snake
    Synonym: slang
  2. (formal) serpent, serpentine dragon, large snake
    Synonym: slang
  3. an unpleasant, spiteful or foulmouthed person, especially used of women
    Synonym: slang

Noun[edit]

serpent f (plural serpenten, diminutive serpentje n)

  1. (music) serpent (wind instrument)

Descendants[edit]

  • West Frisian: serpint

Anagrams[edit]

French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Inherited from Middle French serpent, from Old French serpent, from Latin serpentem, accusative form of serpēns, from serpō (crawl, creep).

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

serpent m (plural serpents, feminine serpente)

  1. snake

Derived terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Latin[edit]

Verb[edit]

serpent

  1. third-person plural future active indicative of serpō

Middle French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French serpent, from Latin serpentem, accusative singular form of serpēns.

Noun[edit]

serpent m (plural serpenz)

  1. snake

Descendants[edit]

Old French[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin serpēns, serpentem.

Pronunciation[edit]

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Noun[edit]

serpent m (oblique plural serpenz or serpentz, nominative singular serpenz or serpentz, nominative plural serpent)

  1. snake

Descendants[edit]

Romanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Borrowed from French serpent or English serpent.

Noun[edit]

serpent n (plural serpente)

  1. (music) serpent

Declension[edit]

Romansch[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Latin serpēns, serpentem.

Noun[edit]

serpent m (plural serpents)

  1. (Surmiran) snake

Synonyms[edit]

  • (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader) serp
  • (Sursilvan) siarp
  • (Sutsilvan) zearp
  • (Surmiran) zerp