serpent Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
    ophidian; snake.
  2. noun a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited
  3. noun an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake

WordNet

Ser"pent noun
Etymology
F., fr. L. serpens, -entis (sc. bestia), fr. serpens, p. pr. of serpere to creep; akin to Gr. , Skr. sarp, and perhaps to L. repere, E. reptile. Cf. Herpes.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any reptile of the order Ophidia; a snake, especially a large snake. See Illust. under Ophidia. ✍ The serpents are mostly long and slender, and move partly by bending the body into undulations or folds and pressing them against objects, and partly by using the free edges of their ventral scales to cling to rough surfaces. Many species glide swiftly over the ground, some burrow in the earth, others live in trees. A few are entirely aquatic, and swim rapidly. See Ophidia, and Fang.
  2. Fig.: A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.
  3. A species of firework having a serpentine motion as it passess through the air or along the ground.
  4. (Astron.) The constellation Serpens.
  5. (Mus.) A bass wind instrument, of a loud and coarse tone, formerly much used in military bands, and sometimes introduced into the orchestra; -- so called from its form.
Ser"pent intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Serpented; present participle & verbal noun Serpenting
Definitions
  1. To wind like a serpent; to crook about; to meander. R. "The serpenting of the Thames." Evelyn.
Ser"pent transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To wind; to encircle. R. Evelyn.

Webster 1913