verb / noun

slither

SLITH-er/ˈslɪðər/

A smooth sliding or twisting movement.

A snake slithers across the warm stones beside the path.

One harmless grass snake moves in a flowing S-shaped path across a tiny sand-and-grass patch, body in continuous contact with ground and a curved track behind.

Etymology

slitherOld Englishto slip, slide on a loose slope

Old English slidrian described slipping or sliding on a loose slope and was a repeated-action form of “slide.” That sliding-motion sense later extended to the smooth movement of reptiles.

In context

Nat Geo Animals1:03

the copperhead goes where other snakes fear to Slither it can scale Snowy Mountains swim through swamps and hunt in freezing temperatures

Fangs (Full Episode) | World's Deadliest

More examples

The loose rope slithers through my fingers.
He slithers under the fence on his belly.
With one last slither, the snake disappears into the grass.

Forms

slither · slithers · slithered · slithering

slithery adjective — Moving with a smooth, twisting motion.

Similar words

slide: Emphasizes movement along a surface without necessarily twisting.
glide: Suggests smooth, effortless movement, not necessarily against a surface.
wriggle: Emphasizes repeated small twists rather than smooth forward movement.