anguine

American  

[ang-gwin] / ˈæŋ gwɪn /

adjective

1. pertaining to or resembling a snake.

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anguine British  

/ ˈæŋɡwɪn /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or similar to a snake

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Etymology

Origin of anguine

1650–60; < Latin anguīnus pertaining to a snake, equivalent to angu ( is ) snake, serpent + -īnus -ine ¹

Explanation

If you say that something's anguine, it reminds you of a snake. You might jump when you see a jump rope coiled on the kitchen floor, because of its anguine shape. The adjective anguine is useful for talking about anything that looks like a snake, although it's most commonly found describing a particular kind of lizard, the anguine or anguid lizard, which is long and scaly and very snake-like. Anguine comes from a Latin root word, anguis, or "snake."