noun
serpent
SUR-punt/ˈsɜːrpənt/
A snake referred to in literary language.
A large serpent coils around a weathered branch.
Etymology
The pieces describe a 'creeping thing': Latin turned the action of creeping into a name for the snake. The word thus identifies the animal through its characteristic movement.
In context
to a far more enigmatic symbol, the serpent, a creature that slithered into heraldry with a duality few other emblems could match.
More examples
- In the poem, a serpent glides silently through the grass.
- The painting shows Eve beside a serpent.
- The traveler watches two serpents bask on a stone.
Forms
serpent · serpents
serpentine adjective — Resembling a snake in shape or movement.
Similar words
- snake
- The everyday term, without the literary tone of serpent.