serpentine

1 of 3

adjective

ser·​pen·​tine ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn How to pronounce serpentine (audio)
-ˌtīn
1
: of or resembling a serpent (as in form or movement)
2
: subtly wily or tempting
3
a
: winding or turning one way and another
a serpentine road
b
: having a compound curve whose central curve is convex
serpentinely adverb

serpentine

2 of 3

noun (1)

: something that winds sinuously

serpentine

3 of 3

noun (2)

ser·​pen·​tine ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn How to pronounce serpentine (audio)
: a mineral or rock consisting essentially of a hydrous magnesium silicate usually having a dull green color and often a mottled appearance

Did you know?

A snake moves by curving and winding along the ground. Roads through the Pyrenees, the mountains that separate Spain from France, tend to be serpentine, curving back and forth on themselves up and down the steep slopes. Serpentine has other meanings as well. As a noun, it's the name for a soft green mineral, and also for the party streamers you might throw at midnight on New Year's Eve. The serpentine belt under the hood in your car is the long, looping belt that most of the car's accessories—the AC, the power steering, the alternator, and so on—depend on to get their power.

Examples of serpentine in a Sentence

Adjective the country inn lies at the end of a rather serpentine road, but it's worth the trip
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The cover of the book, a portion of which adorns the jersey Weiner wears, features a woman biking along a serpentine road. Stephanie Merry, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2023 In the final section, alone on the stage and convulsed with the horror of her deeds, Williams brought down the house with her writhing agony, at one point feeding into her mouth a serpentine red tape (the counterpart of Ariadne’s thread). Christopher Benfey, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Aug. 2023 The latest wave will include serpentine sofas, curvaceous accent chairs, and all other forms of furniture, plus an infusion of architectural arches: windows, doors, and hallways. Tatjana Freund, Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Aug. 2023 Investigators are asking anyone who was in the area of the serpentine trail of Soldiers Delight Overlook between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. on Tues. Lilly Price, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2023 Thanks to its serpentine anatomy, this new space explorer can go forward and backward in a straight line, slither like a snake, move its entire body like a windshield wiper, curl itself into a circle, and lift its head and tail. Gina Errico, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Adding to his confidence, his first Cup Series win came at the serpentine track in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Mark Long, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Aug. 2023 Curvy couches soften more angular features and give a sense of serpentine movement. Amanda Long, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023 Royalton Road On July 1, police observed a red Lexus weaving in a serpentine fashion along Royalton Road. John Benson, cleveland, 1 Aug. 2023
Noun
The activity recreates the repetitive practice of skating serpentines (three connected circles) and circle eights (two connected circles), school figures that give the works their titles. Briana Miller | , oregonlive, 11 Sep. 2023 Bangkok's main lifeline is the serpentine Chao Phraya River, and along its banks are some of the city's top luxury hotels, oldest neighborhoods, and biggest tourist attractions. Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2023 The dining room area, for example, pairs a serpentine chandelier by Frederik Molenschot with a neon yellow painting by Tishan Hsu. Helena Madden, ELLE Decor, 1 Sep. 2023 Mermaids almost always appear as half human, half fish (or other aquatic/serpentine animals). Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023 Every actor’s career follows its own serpentine route to a final bow. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 30 June 2023 The necklace is composed of triangular motifs that reference serpentine scales. Laura Casey, WSJ, 30 May 2023 California, like the great American West, was largely built on violence — violence to not just the land, but also the native people of the land. :: Before Jedediah Smith, an American frontiersman who arrived in the 1820s, this land of redwoods, spruce and serpentine was known as Yan’-daa-k’vt. Los Angeles Times, 20 Dec. 2021 Gang and her team, working with structural engineers at Thornton Tomasetti, inserted a serpentine, origami-like concrete roof that, like a river of light, draws visitors in and through the building’s lofty atrium and toward its galleries. Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 5 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'serpentine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French serpentin, from Late Latin serpentinus, from Latin serpent-, serpens

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French serpentin, Medieval Latin serpentina, serpentinum, from Late Latin, feminine & neuter of serpentinus resembling a serpent

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1519, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serpentine was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near serpentine

Cite this Entry

“Serpentine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serpentine. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

serpentine

adjective
ser·​pen·​tine
ˈsər-pən-ˌtēn,
-ˌtīn
1
: of or resembling a serpent
2
: winding or turning one way and another
a serpentine path through the woods

More from Merriam-Webster on serpentine

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