serpentine - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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From Middle English serpentine, from Old French serpentin, from Latin serpentīnus, from serpēns (“serpent”), equivalent to serpent + -ine.
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsɜː.pənˌtaɪn/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsɝ.pənˌtaɪn/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)pəntaɪn
serpentine (comparative more serpentine, superlative most serpentine)
- 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.
The wily criminal was known for his serpentine behavior.
- Having the form or shape of a snake.
- Synonym: ophidian
There are serpentine species of lizards which do not have legs.
- Curving in alternate directions; sinuous.
- Synonyms: sinuous, tortuous, winding
The serpentine path through the mountains was narrow and dangerous.
1950 December, E. M. Patterson, “An Ulster Round Trip”, in Railway Magazine, page 802:
Between Magherafelt and Macfin its length of 29¼ miles made a rather serpentine line on the map, as it attempted to serve the rather scattered towns and villages that lie between the River Bann and the Dungiven Mountains.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of snakes
- Arabic: ثُعْبَانِيّ (ṯuʕbāniyy)
- Belarusian: змяі́ны (zmjaíny), зьмяі́ны (zʹmjaíny) (Taraškievica)
- Bulgarian: зми́йски (zmíjski)
- Czech: hadí (cs)
- Finnish: käärmemäinen (fi)
- French: serpentin (fr)
- German: Schlangen- (de)
- Italian: serpentino (it)
- Latin: serpentīnus
- Macedonian: зми́ски (zmíski)
- Manx: aarnieuagh
- Polish: wężowy (pl)
- Portuguese: ofídico, serpentino
- Russian: змеи́ный (ru) (zmeínyj)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Slovak: hadí
- Slovene: kačji, kačast
- Spanish: serpentino
- Ukrainian: змії́ний (zmijínyj)
having the form of a snake
- Bulgarian: змиеви́ден (zmievíden)
- Dutch: rddyufiy f, tyfit
- Finnish: käärmemäinen (fi)
- German: schlangenförmig (de)
- Macedonian: зми́јулест (zmíjulest), змијо́виден (zmijóviden)
- Manx: aarnieuagh
- Portuguese: serpentino, serpentiforme (pt), anguiforme (pt)
- Russian: змеи́ный (ru) (zmeínyj), змееподо́бный (ru) (zmejepodóbnyj), змееви́дный (ru) (zmejevídnyj), змееобра́зный (ru) (zmejeobráznyj), изви́листый (ru) (izvílistyj) (winding)
curving in alternate directions — see also sinuous
serpentine (plural serpentines)
- Any of several plants believed to cure snakebites.
- (historical) An early form of cannon, used in the 16th century.
- A kind of firework.
- A coiled distillation tube.
- (mathematics) Any of several related cubic curves; anguinea
- (equestrianism) In dressage, a winding walk across on the arena.
- (mineralogy) 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.
- (geology) An outcrop or region with soil and rock dominated by these minerals.
- (mineral): antigorite, chrysotile, lizardite
plant believed to cure snakebites
- Portuguese: serpentária f
mineral
- Bulgarian: серпентин m (serpentin)
- Catalan: serpentina (ca) f
- Finnish: serpentiini (fi)
- French: serpentine (fr) f
- German: Schlangenstein (de) m, Serpentin (de) m
- Greek: σερπεντίνης (el) m (serpentínis)
- Hindi: ज़हर मोहरा (zahar mohrā)
- Hungarian: szerpentin (hu)
- Irish: nathairín m
- Italian: serpentino (it) m
- Japanese: 蛇紋石 (じゃもんせき, jamonseki)
- Latin: ophites m
- Macedonian: серпенти́н m (serpentín)
- Portuguese: serpentina (pt) f
- Romanian: serpentin (ro) n
- Russian: змееви́к (ru) m (zmejevík), серпенти́н (ru) m (serpentín)
- Spanish: serpentina (es) f
- Swedish: serpentin (sv) c
- Ukrainian: змійови́к m (zmijovýk), серпенти́н m (serpentýn)
serpentine (third-person singular simple present serpentines, present participle serpentining, simple past and past participle serpentined)
- To serpentize; to turn or bend; to meander.
- 1813, George Nicholson, The Cambrian Traveller's Guidey
- There were two little lakes, or rather large pools which stood in the bottom, whence issued a rivulet which serpentined in view for two or three miles, offering a pleasing relief to the eye.
1912, William B. Simmons, “The First Tripper”, in Hamilton Literary Magazine, volume 47, page 123:
The mountains were fully in their gorgeous autumn garb the next morning, as the train serpentined up and up toward the divide.
2002 April 29, mixgreg, “Mountain Sledding”, in rec.sport.snowmobiles[1] (Usenet):
Most great mountain riders carve up the slope, serpentining as he climbs up the mountain. A mountain rider will as he loses momentum will turn out a bit, reducing the angle of attack. He will continue carving switchbacks, using body english jumping from one side of his sled to the other, as he continues climbing higher and higher.
- 1813, George Nicholson, The Cambrian Traveller's Guidey
- David Barthelmy (1997–2024) “Serpentine”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
- “serpentine”, in Mindat.org[3], Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2024.
serpentine
serpentine f pl
serpentine f pl
- plural of serpentina
serpentīne