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

The serpents aren't the only unusual visitors popping up off Southern California's coast. — Lesley Marin, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026

The serpents hunt for fish in open water and can easily get caught in currents. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

The mystery of how the serpent ended up flying through the sky and straight onto a family’s outdoor morning tea was revealed when Wildlife SOS rescuers were called to the scene. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026

Special touches added by Gail have been retained, including an eccentric serpent mosaic based on a design by Frank Zappa himself. — Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 19 Aug. 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