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serpentine

1
[ sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn ]
/ ˈsɜr pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn /
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See synonyms for: serpentine / serpentines on Thesaurus.com

adjective
of, characteristic of, or resembling a serpent, as in form or movement.
having a winding course, as a road; sinuous.
shrewd, wily, or cunning.
noun
verb (used without object), ser·pen·tined, ser·pen·tin·ing.
to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.

OTHER WORDS FOR serpentine

2 twisting, snaking, tortuous.
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Origin of serpentine

1
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (adjective) from Old French serpentin, serpentine and Latin serpentīnus “snakelike”; see origin at Serpens, -ine1

Other definitions for serpentine (2 of 2)

serpentine2
[ sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn ]
/ ˈsɜr pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn /

noun
a common mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H2Mg3Si2O2, usually oily green and sometimes spotted, occurring in many varieties: used for architectural and decorative purposes.

Origin of serpentine

2
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English serpentin(e), from Old French serpentine and Medieval Latin serpentīnum (neuter) and serpentīna (feminine), noun use of neuter of serpentīnusserpentine1
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use serpentine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for serpentine (1 of 2)

serpentine1
/ (ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn) /

adjective
of, relating to, or resembling a serpent
twisting; winding
noun
maths a curve that is symmetric about the origin of and asymptotic to the x -axis

Word Origin for serpentine

C14: from Late Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns serpent

British Dictionary definitions for serpentine (2 of 2)

serpentine2
/ (ˈsɜːpənˌtaɪn) /

noun
a dark green or brown mineral with a greasy or silky lustre, found in igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is used as an ornamental stone; and one variety (chrysotile) is known as asbestos. Composition: hydrated magnesium silicate. Formula: Mg 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 . Crystal structure: monoclinic
any of a group of minerals having the general formula (Mg,Fe) 3 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4

Word Origin for serpentine

C15 serpentyn, from Medieval Latin serpentīnum serpentine 1; referring to the snakelike patterns of these minerals
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for serpentine

serpentine
[ sûrpən-tēn′, -tīn′ ]

Any of a group of greenish, brownish, or yellowish monoclinic minerals, occurring in igneous or metamorphic rocks. They are used as a source of magnesium and asbestos. Chemical formula: (Mg,Fe)3Si2O5(OH)4.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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