serpent

noun

ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt 

1

a

archaic : a noxious creature that creeps, hisses, or stings

b

: snake

2

: devil sense 1

3

: a treacherous person

Synonyms

• snake
• viper

Examples of serpent in a Sentence

an Aztec carving of a feathered serpent representing the god Quetzalcoatl

beware the temptations of the serpent

Recent Examples on the Web

From the terrifying Basilisk serpent to the majestic hippogriff Buckbeak, VFX giant Framestore brought to life many of J.K. Rowling’s magical creatures in the Harry Potter films. —Jake Kanter, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024

It is decorated with paintings of large serpents with human legs, as well as images of warriors and an unidentified mythical creature. —Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2024

Mithril Links • Sea serpents, or sea worms, don’t play a major role in Tolkien and only get mentioned in vague terms. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024

In ancient Egyptian art, Apophis was frequently portrayed as a massive serpent, embodying chaos and darkness. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin serpent-, serpens, from present participle of serpere to creep; akin to Greek herpein to creep, Sanskrit sarpati he creeps

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing serpent

• sea serpent

Kids Definition

serpent

noun

ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt 

: a usually large snake