colubrine

adjective

col·u·brine | \ ˈkäl-yə-ˌbrīn

How to pronounce colubrine (audio)

, ˈkä-lə- \

Definition of colubrine

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake

2 : of or relating to colubrids : colubrid

Snakes and Colubrine

Colubrine may be less common than other animal words—such as canine, feline, and bovine—but it has been around for a good long while. Ultimately derived from the Latin colubra ("snake"), it slithered into the English language in the 16th century. (Cobra, by the way, comes from the same Latin word, but it entered English through Portuguese.) Some other words for "snakelike" are serpentine (a more common alternative) and ophidian (from the Greek word for snake: ophis).

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Cite this Entry

“Colubrine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colubrine. Accessed 17 Aug. 2022.

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More Definitions for colubrine

colubrine

adjective

col·u·brine | \ ˈkäl-(y)ə-ˌbrīn

\

Medical Definition of colubrine

: of or relating to snakes of the family Colubridae : colubrid

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