serpent

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French serpent (“snake, serpent”), from Latin serpēns (“snake”), from the verb serpō (“I creep, crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *serp-.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜːpənt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝpənt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ser‧pent

Noun

serpent (plural serpents)

1. A snake.
2. (music) An obsolete wind instrument in the brass family, whose shape is suggestive of a snake (Wikipedia article).
3. (figuratively) A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.
4. A kind of firework with a serpentine motion.

Verb

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

1. (obsolete) To wind; to encircle.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Evelyn to this entry?)

See also

• herpetology
• lizard
• reptile
• snake

Anagrams

• penster, present, repents, respent

Etymology

From Latin serpēns, serpentem, from serpō (“crawl, creep”), from Proto-Indo-European *serp-.

Noun

serpent m, f (plural serpents)

1. snake

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French serpent (“snake, serpent”), from Latin serpēns (“snake”), from the verb serpō (“I creep, crawl”), from Proto-Indo-European *serp-.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: ser‧pent
• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

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

1. (archaic) snake n
2. an unpleasant, spiteful person n
3. (music) serpent f

Anagrams

• persten, strepen

Etymology

From Middle French serpent, from Old French serpent, from Latin serpentem, accusative form of serpēns, from serpō (“crawl, creep”), from Proto-Indo-European *serp-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɛʁ.pɑ̃/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

serpent m (plural serpents)

1. snake

Further reading

• “serpent” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• présent

Verb

serpent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of serpō

Etymology

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

Noun

serpent m (plural serpenz)

1. snake

Etymology

From Latin serpēns, serpentem.

Noun

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

1. snake

Alternative forms

• (Vallader) serpaint

Etymology

From Latin serpēns, serpentem.

Noun

serpent m (plural serpents)

1. (Surmiran) snake