n.
- chiefly literary a large snake.
▸a dragon or other mythical snake-like reptile.
▸
(the Serpent)
a biblical name for Satan (see Gen. 3, Rev. 20).
▸a sly or treacherous person.
- historical a bass wind instrument made of leather-covered wood in three U-shaped turns, with a cup-shaped mouthpiece and few keys.
Etymology
ME: via OFr. from L. serpent-, serpere ‘to creep’.