serpent

noun

ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt How to pronounce serpent (audio)
1
a
archaic : a noxious creature that creeps, hisses, or stings
b
: snake
2
3
: a treacherous person

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It is decorated with paintings of large serpents with human legs, as well as images of warriors and an unidentified mythical creature. Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2024 Mithril Links • Sea serpents, or sea worms, don’t play a major role in Tolkien and only get mentioned in vague terms. Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024 In ancient Egyptian art, Apophis was frequently portrayed as a massive serpent, embodying chaos and darkness. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 The pros seemed to take a liking to the serpent, too, posing with the beast and dubbing him Waste Management. Karri Peifer, Axios, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for serpent 

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

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of serpent was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near serpent

Cite this Entry

“Serpent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serpent. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

serpent

noun
ser·​pent ˈsər-pənt How to pronounce serpent (audio)
: a usually large snake

More from Merriam-Webster on serpent

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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