serpent
Americannoun
-
a snake.
-
a wily, treacherous, or malicious person.
-
a firework that burns with a serpentine motion or flame.
-
an obsolete wooden wind instrument with a serpentine shape and a deep, coarse tone.
-
Astronomy. Serpent, the constellation Serpens.
noun
-
a literary or dialect word for snake
-
Old Testament a manifestation of Satan as a guileful tempter (Genesis 3:1–5)
-
a sly, deceitful, or unscrupulous person
-
an obsolete wind instrument resembling a snake in shape, the bass form of the cornett
-
a firework that moves about with a serpentine motion when ignited
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing serpent
Christopher Columbus' Diary: The First Voyage
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Unit 5, Week 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Spelling Practice 2, Unit 8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Fugard’s friendship — along with that of fellow Serpent Player Winston Ntshona — became among the most formative of Kani’s life.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026
“This Is Where the Serpent Lives” has all the strengths of that earlier work and more.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Two American Black Hawk helicopters crashed in which city in 1993 during part of Operation Gothic Serpent?
From Slate • Feb. 21, 2024
Dr Perry, who wrote The Essex Serpent, Melmoth, After Me Comes the Flood and the non-fictional tome Essex Girls, was announced as the new chancellor this week.
From BBC • Jul. 20, 2023
“I’m fireproof. That’s not the first Flame Serpent to get loose, I’m afraid.”
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
