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

It is thought that the Greek myth could be a retelling of an older Babylonian tale, in which the hero Gilgamesh slayed a colossal dog-headed, winged serpent known as a Mush-dragon. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 May 2026

For tonight’s look, Petsa and Graham looked to the designer’s fall 2026 collection and its serpent-skin dress as a starting point. —Irene Kim, Vogue, 4 May 2026

Those serpents include six rattlesnake species and non-rattlers, such as the Copperhead, Water Moccasin (or Cottonmouth) and Eastern Coral snakes. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Slowly, very slowly, the serpent’s erectile head came up, up, cantilevered from its upper body, its firm, columnar upper body. —John McPhee, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 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