DictionaryRoot: -inus
Latin
-inus
of, like, or belonging to
Forms
- -inus
- -ine — One later development in French and English.
Origin
An inherited Latin descriptive ending.
Note
Scientific naming later reused its descendants for substances, without making that its original meaning.
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adjective / noun
serpentine
SUR-pun-teen/ˈsɜːrpəntiːn/
Winding in a snakelike course.
Etymology
The pieces mean “snake-like,” with the resemblance here lying in movement or shape. A serpentine path twists and winds as a snake does when it moves.