serpentine
/ˈsɜː.pənˌtaɪn/
serpentine means of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes. It carries an Arena rating of 1524, earned across 2 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, serpentine ranks #600 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #1,895 of 17,127 for Most Vivid Words, #1,910 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #1,976 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say.
serpentine is pronounced /ˈsɜː.pənˌtaɪn/.
Why “serpentine” is a great word
Describing a winding, sinuous form or course, like a snake. From Middle English *serpentine*, from Old French *serpentin*, from Latin *serpentīnus* ("of a serpent"), from *serpēns* ("serpent, snake"). Unlike "sinuous," which suggests smooth, flowing curves, or "winding," a general, neutral term, serpentine carries the latent metaphor of the serpent itself—suggestive of cunning, temptation, or hidden danger. It is the treacherous switchback on a mountain road, the ornate ironwork of a wrought-iron gate, or the cold, meandering track a river leaves in the mud; a line that coils with the patient, undulating insistence of a whispered secret.
Etymology
From Middle English serpentine, from Old French serpentin, from Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns (“serpent”), equivalent to serpent + -ine.
adj
- Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes.
- Of, or having attributes associated with, the serpent referred to in the book of Genesis in the Bible, such as craftiness or deceitfulness.e.g.“The wily criminal was known for his serpentine behavior.”
- Having the form or shape of a snake.e.g.“There are serpentine species of lizards which do not have legs.”
- Curving in alternate directions; sinuous.e.g.“The serpentine path through the mountains was narrow and dangerous.”
- Pertaining to the serpentine subgroup of minerals.e.g.“serpentine soils”
name
- A lake in Hyde Park, London.
- A river in Alaska.
- A river in Australia.
- A river in Canada.
- A minor river in Tasman district and the city of Nelson, New Zealand.
- A town in the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale, Western Australia.
noun
- Any of several plants believed to cure snakebites.
- An early form of cannon, used in the 16th century.
- A kind of firework.
- A coiled distillation tube.
- Any of several related cubic curves; anguinea
- In dressage, a winding walk across on the arena.
- Any of several green/brown minerals consisting of magnesium and iron silicates that have similar layered crystal structure, whose appearance somewhat resembles a snake's skin.e.g.“It is reached by five-and-twenty steps of porphyry and serpentine.” — 2020, Hilary Mantel, The Mirror and the Light, Fourth Estate, page 394:
- An outcrop or region with soil and rock dominated by these minerals.
verb
- To serpentize; to turn or bend; to meander.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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