serpent

noun

ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt 

1

a

archaic : a noxious creature that creeps, hisses, or stings

b

: snake

2

: devil sense 1

3

: a treacherous person

Synonyms of serpent

• snake
• viper

Examples of serpent in a Sentence

an Aztec carving of a feathered serpent representing the god Quetzalcoatl

beware the temptations of the serpent

Recent Examples on the Web

Dark-orange lines, like heavy serpents, stripe the sands, gray rivers stripe the sands. —Literary Hub, 23 Jan. 2026

Were a lot of serpents biting people in those days. —Chris Willman, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026

The Grammy-winning artist later reclaimed the slithering serpent as one of the key visual elements of her follow-up album, Reputation. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Jan. 2026

And then there are the infernal workers who make sure that Lucifer’s realm runs smoothly, among them farting devils, giants in chains, and a flying monster with the body of a serpent and the face of an honest man. —Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin serpent-, serpens, from present participle of serpere to creep; akin to Greek herpein to creep, Sanskrit sarpati he creeps

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing serpent

• sea serpent

Kids Definition

serpent

noun

ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt 

: a usually large snake