serpent

Meanings

Plural: serpents

Noun

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.

Verb

To wind or meander
To encircle.

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.

Synonyms

adder, edder, ophidian, remora, snake

Scrabble Score: 9

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

Words With Friends Score: 11

serpent is a valid Words With Friends word