serpent

American  

[sur-puhnt] / ˈsɜr pənt /

noun

• serpents
  plural

1. a snake.

2. a wily, treacherous, or malicious person.

3. the Devil; Satan. Genesis 3:1–5.

4. a firework that burns with a serpentine motion or flame.

5. an obsolete wooden wind instrument with a serpentine shape and a deep, coarse tone.

6. Astronomy. Serpent, the constellation Serpens.

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serpent British  

/ ˈsɜːpənt /

noun

1. a literary or dialect word for snake

2. Old Testament a manifestation of Satan as a guileful tempter (Genesis 3:1–5)

3. a sly, deceitful, or unscrupulous person

4. an obsolete wind instrument resembling a snake in shape, the bass form of the cornett

5. a firework that moves about with a serpentine motion when ignited

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serpent Cultural  

1. The creature in the Book of Genesis that tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, thus committing the first act of the Fall of Man. In the New Testament, the serpent of Genesis is identified with Satan.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• serpents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of serpent

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin serpent-, stem of serpēns “crawling”; see origin at Serpens

Explanation

A serpent is a snake. If you keep a serpent as a pet, you may have to get used to feeding it live mice. While you're probably more likely to use the word snake for this slithery reptile, serpent tends to be the word that shows up in folk tales and mythology. Serpents have represented qualities ranging from evil to fertility to poison throughout history, and even today the symbol of medicine is a staff entwined by a serpent. The Latin root is serpentem, "creeping thing," from serpere, "to creep."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

serpent serpents

Seen from below, the table’s ebonized-birch legs also suggest, by turns, two figures kissing, ancient post-and-lintel architecture, an undulating serpent and a recumbent figure by Henry Moore.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Father Carlos Martins, for example, produces an Exorcist Files podcast with 40,000 followers on YouTube that promises to take viewers through his experiences “battling the ancient serpent in many forms.”

From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2026

The biblical passage recounts how the serpent, typically interpreted as the devil in Christian theology, tempted Eve to sin by eating the forbidden fruit.

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Despite the uptick in serpent bites and related deaths, a fatal rattlesnake bite remains a rare occurrence.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

Suddenly in his hand writhed a cold serpent, hissing and twisting to strike.

From "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander

Like endless, dormant serpents, the colossal concrete casing of the pipelines stretched along the seabed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

Their breakthrough arrives with a performance of Temple Maiden, a dance tracing the love and envy of two maidens who turn into serpents.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

The researchers analyzed what the landscape would have been like in the past and concluded the serpents would have been most visible from other hilltops and from the river.

From Science Magazine ● Jun. 3, 2024

Elapid snakes are venomous and among the deadliest serpents in the world.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2024

As if on cue, one of the serpents lifted its head slightly from the basket to eye them with curiosity.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• snake
• viper