Definition of SERPENT

serpent

Plural: serpents

Noun

  • A snake, especially a large or venomous one.
  • limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
  • a firework that moves in serpentine manner when ignited
  • an obsolete bass cornet; resembles a snake
  • A snake, especially a large or dangerous one.
  • A subtle, treacherous, malicious person.
  • An obsolete wind instrument in the brass family, whose shape is suggestive of a snake (Wikipedia article).
  • A kind of firework with a serpentine motion.
  • A snake-like monster, such as a dragon or sea serpent.

Verb

  • To wind or meander
  • To encircle.

Examples

  • The word ’SERPENT’ coiled across the board, threatening to strike a triple-word score in Words With Friends.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Scrabble Score: 9

serpent: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
serpent: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
serpent: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

serpent: valid Words With Friends Word