What does "serpent" mean?
A snake, especially a large or dangerous one.
Serpent
/ˈsɜːpənt/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A snake, especially a large or dangerous one.
- Grammar: serpent is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: snake, ophidian, adder, alpenhorn.
- Useful contrasts: hero, honest person, trustworthy ally.
- Usage evidence: It had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of a bird, and the tail of a serpent.
How to use "serpent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "serpent" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "serpent" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "serpent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "serpent" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "serpent" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "snake" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "serpent", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A snake, especially a large or dangerous one. literary
"He falls into it, who has digg'd a Pit. Who breaks a Hedge is with a Serpent bit."
- 2 limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous wordnet
- 3 A subtle, treacherous, malicious person. figuratively
"He is a very serpent in my way."
- 4 an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake wordnet
- 5 An obsolete wind instrument in the brass family, whose shape is suggestive of a snake (Wikipedia article).
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited wordnet
- 7 A kind of firework with a serpentine motion.
- 8 A snake-like monster, such as a dragon or sea serpent.
"Then Beowulf too rallied. With his whetted dagger he slit a gash in the serpent's middle."
Verb
- 1 To wind or meander intransitive, obsolete
- 2 To encircle. obsolete, transitive
"fruit-trees, whose boles are serpented with excellent vines"
Proper Noun
- 1 Synonym of Serpens (a constellation).
- 2 Synonym of Satan. figuratively
"Quin, with the wisdom of the serpent, called for more drinks."
Antonyms
Example
"It had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of a bird, and the tail of a serpent."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "serpent"?
Common synonyms include: snake, ophidian, adder, alpenhorn, alphorn, althorn.
How do you use "serpent" in a sentence?
It had the head of a woman, the body of a lion, the wings of a bird, and the tail of a serpent.
How do you pronounce "serpent"?
Pronounced /ˈsɜːpənt/.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *serp- Proto-Indo-European *sérpeti Proto-Italic *serpō Proto-Italic *serpents Latin serpēns Old French serpentbor. Middle English serpent English serpent From Middle English serpent, from Old French serpent (“snake, serpent”), from Latin serpēns (“snake”), present active participle of serpere (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-Italic *serpō, from Proto-Indo-European *serp-. In this sense, displaced native Old English nǣdre (“snake, serpent”), whence Modern English adder. Compare Sanskrit सर्प (sarpa, “snake”), which is a descendant of the same Proto-Indo-European word as serpent.