serpentine
1 Americanadjective
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)
noun
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
adjective
-
of, relating to, or resembling a serpent
-
twisting; winding
noun
Etymology
Origin of serpentine1
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English (adjective) from Old French serpentin, serpentine and Latin serpentīnus “snakelike”; see origin at Serpens, -ine 1 ( def. )
Origin of serpentine2
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 serpentīnus serpentine 1
Explanation
You can use the adjective serpentine to describe things that look like a serpent or are snakelike. Looking down at the carved riverbeds in the Grand Canyon is like looking into a basket of snakes: the serpentine twists curve throughout the canyon floor. Not everyone likes snakes, but those who aren’t grossed out by the highly flexible bodies of serpents might enjoy using the word serpentine for things that resemble their snaky, curvy lines. Strands of hair, cracks in dry desert, and roller-coaster rides can look serpentine, and you might tangle with a serpentine hose while minding your own business and watering the plants. Sometimes serpentine even describes people who are snakelike or slippery in character.
Vocabulary lists containing serpentine
A Lexical Zoo of Animal Adjectives
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!
Animal Adjectives
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!
The Road
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.
See Examples For:
I step off the restaurant’s orderly little terrace and make a slow serpentine path past makeshift dinner parties.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
The artwork depicts a fantastical creature combining multiple striking features, including a spiral horn, elongated snout, hooked teeth, wings, and a serpentine tail.
From Science Daily ● May 4, 2026
His serpentine plot flows to a natural yet shocking conclusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 28, 2025
The stone, set in a serpentine ring, once belonged to Rachel Lambert Mellon, better known as Bunny Mellon, a US horticulturalist, philanthropist and art collector.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025
It showed a glacier with a curious serpentine shape, flowing down between three almost identical mountain peaks.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
“Through the peaks and valleys and alleyways we serpentined through together you were always there,” he continued.
From Fox News ● Jun. 10, 2019
Downstairs, a line that started forming nearly an hour early had serpentined past racks of fluorescent wigs and novelty socks all the way to the front door.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2019
As they serpentined down the murky Itaquaí, signs of civilization receded.
From Washington Post
Posing as a Swiss traveling salesman, he had serpentined through Germany for eleven days, finally crossed into Switzerland.
From Time Magazine Archive
That "doughnut" of air under his arms meant that he would probably bob through with dry hair while I serpentined over and under an oar.
From Down the Yellowstone by Lewis R. (Lewis Ransome) Freeman
John Wallace kicked field goals of 37 and 39 yards, the latter coming after Chucky Williams’ serpentining interception return and giving Louisville a one-point lead with 1:25 left in the third.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 30, 2015
Millions of sparks flew from the engine and crossed one another in the darkness, serpentining in long golden lines.
From Tales by Polish Authors by Various
We curved the hill and entered a forest of spruce, the path serpentining between the tree-boles, the wheels running silent on immemorial mould.
From From Sea to Sea Letters of Travel by Rudyard Kipling
The river had stolen from the higher tracts and brought in particles to the vale all this horizontal land; and now, exhausted, aged, and attenuated, lay serpentining along through the midst of its former spoils.
From Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
From their elevated perch they had a good view of the serpentining line.
From The Elephant God by Gordon Casserly
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.
