serpentine

[ sur-puhn-teen, -tahyn ]

/ ˈsɜr pənˌtin, -ˌtaɪn /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR serpentine 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

a device on a harquebus lock for holding the match.

a cannon having any of various bore sizes, used from the 15th to the 17th century.

Skating. a school figure made by skating two figure eights that share one loop.

verb (used without object), ser·pen·tined, ser·pen·tin·ing.

to make or follow a winding course: The stream serpentines through the valley.

Nearby words

Origin of serpentine

1350–1400; Middle English (adj.) < Latin serpentīnus snakelike, equivalent to serpent- serpent + -īnus ine1

SYNONYMS FOR serpentine

2. twisting, snaking, tortuous.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR serpentine ON THESAURUS.COM

serpentine

[ sur-puh n-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

1350–1400; Middle English serpentyn < Medieval Latin serpentīnum, noun use. of neuter of serpentīnus serpentine¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for serpentine

Most of the time, the three-hour, serpentine drive to Jalalabad is gorgeous and calm, though attacks can happen.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley|Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman|November 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he tells their story in a voyeuristic way, to make this one of the most troubling and serpentine novel of the year.
What You Missed But Shouldn’t Have In 2013||December 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It's not just about the wild serpentine forms that Schiavone borrowed from Mannerist painters based further south.
The Unknown Masterpiece|Blake Gopnik|November 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lynch nods indulgently as Brand launches into an epic, serpentine definition of the benefits of TM.
David Lynch Discusses Transcendental Meditation in Los Angeles|Sean Macaulay|April 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In the park you will also find the Serpentine, a lake in which people boat or swim (depending on the time of year).
Running the World|Michael Chertoff|July 25, 2009|DAILY BEAST
In this locality the original rock is a peridotite, relatively low in nickel, which has been altered to serpentine.
The Economic Aspect of Geology|C. K. Leith
That which was once the serpentine walk is now in a state of transformation, and is already become as woody as the rest.
The Works of William Cowper|William Cowper
He felt sick with horror in that neighbourhood, and he moved away, and stood staring across the Serpentine.
Tongues of Conscience|Robert Smythe Hichens
The road through the farm up to the house is serpentine, and planted with dying shrubs.
Early Western Travels, 1748-1846, Volume XII|William Faux
One single clump of green trees raised their heads at the extremity of Serpentine Peninsula.
The Secret of the Island|W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules Verne)

British Dictionary definitions for serpentine

serpentine

/ (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

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

Word Origin and History for serpentine

serpentine

c.1400, "plant reputed to contain antivenom," from Old French serpentin name of a precious stone, noun use of adjective meaning "of a snake, snake-like; sly, deceptive," from Late Latin serpentius "of a serpent," from Latin serpentem (nominative serpens) "snake" (see serpent). As the name of a greenish igneous rock consisting mainly of hydrous magnesium silicate, attested from early 15c.

serpentine

adj.

"twisting, winding," 1610s; see serpent + -ine (1). An earlier adjective meaning "having the evil qualities of a serpent" is recorded from late 14c., from the French source of serpentine (n.). The winding lake of that name in Hyde Park, London, was constructed in 1730.

Science definitions for serpentine

serpentine

[ sûr′pən-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.

serpentine

adjective

noun

verb (used without object), ser·pen·tined, ser·pen·tin·ing.

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of serpentine

serpentine

noun

Origin of serpentine

Examples from the Web for serpentine

serpentine

adjective

noun

Word Origin for serpentine

noun

Word Origin for serpentine

serpentine

serpentine

serpentine